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HAIR DISCRIMINATION: A black woman was reportedly told to chemically straighten her hair to get a job at Harrods

A BLACK woman applying for a position at Harrods was told by an external agency to chemically straighten her hair if she wanted the job.

The news was revealed in a report published on Wednesday by two parliamentary committees, for Petitions and for Women and Equalities, also claiming that women are still being forced to wear high heels, make-up and revealing clothes by some employers.

In evidence presented to the Petitions and Women and Equalities Committees, Nicola Thorp, a receptionist at PwC, who was sent home without pay for not wearing high heels, said: “I have worked in retail before, notably at Harrods. They are really quite bad and I ended up leaving as a result of that.

“In fact, in one of the interview sessions that I attended, the woman who held the interview – who was working for the agency, so Harrods might have diminished responsibility – would go around the room and say, ‘You need a makeover, you need a makeover, you’re fine, you need a makeover’."

Harrods

"She pointed to a black girl who was being interviewed and said, ‘You can’t work for me unless you have your hair chemically relaxed, because your hair, as is, is not professional enough.’ We just sat there and nodded and agreed because we needed the job. People did what they were told.”

Harrods have denied the claims, telling The Independent. : “As with many luxury retailers, all Harrods sales staff are subject to a dress code which they sign up to on joining the company. It asks, in general terms only, that both male and female staff maintain a high standard of personal grooming and has been revised in the past five years to ensure the comfort of our staff while seeking to maintain the standards we expect from those representing our famous store.

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