The Ritz London applicant told 'Afro-style' hair was prohibited!

The Ritz London job seeker was told that Afros and other Afro-inspired hair styles were not allowed.

Jerelle Jules found out from The Ritz’s policy on employee grooming after getting to the final stage of his interview. He later claimed he discovered that a black hairstylist at The Ritz had sanctioned the language in the policy. According to Mr. Jules, this was “institutional racism.”

Other than these discriminatory policies, according to The Ritz, they do not promote any type of discrimination.

Jules, who lives in Hammersmith in west London, applied for a dining reservations supervisor’s position a fortnight ago and when he received the policy letter he had been scheduled for the last interview. Policy prohibited employees from wearing hairstyles like spiky or Afro-style ones stated in it “Racist and humiliating policy”.

It was crazy because I work in corporate housing and have never heard someone say you cannot wear your hair in an Afro. Consequently, he chose not to go ahead with the final interview.

“This is one case where,” as Jules described it, “it is typical (not typical).”

He said: “I don’t want something like this to happen again. It has always been about diversity and black professionalism.” Mr. Jules therefore invited The Ritz so as to talk about diversity and being ‘open’ to all candidates.

A representative for the five-star hotel said: “At The Ritz London we are genuinely committed toward fostering inclusiveness and non-discrimination within our organisation…”

“The hair policy represents blatant discrimination,” Andy Slaughter warned BBC reporters.

He declared: “The response of The Ritz towards challenge is wholly inadequate.“

They have not disclosed either how this racist and humiliating approach came about or their remedial steps going forward.”