Hundreds of Sikh workers lost their jobs or were demoted in Canada’s Toronto over a policy that required them to shave off their beards to wear a face mask. However, after months of furore, city officials have now apologised and altered the directive to allow ‘under-mask beard covers’
Birkawal Singh Anand said that the policy was humiliating. Image Courtesy: World Sikh Organisation
Sikhs across the world have never shied away from fighting for their religious freedom. However, a controversial city policy in Toronto cost over 100 Sikh security guards their jobs.
After months of furore, the City of Toronto has altered its “facial hair policy” to accommodate any individual for whom maintaining a beard is a tenet of that individual’s faith.
We take a look at the directive and what made city officials change their minds.
‘Cut beards to wear N95 masks’
More than 100 Sikh workers were laid off, demoted, or relocated after a new rule that required them to cut their beards to wear a face mask. Under the norms issued in March this year, staff employed at homeless shelters and other service settings were to wear an N95 mask when providing care to people who are suspected or confirmed COVID-19 positive.
The policy called for the staff to be “clean-shaven” to ensure masks fit properly.
However, facial hair is an expression of the Sikh faith and the rules put the workers in a spot. They said that the policy is discriminating and humiliating.
A ‘humiliating’ directive
“I feel very humiliated. If you ask me to clean-shave my beard, it’s like peeling off my skin,” Birkawal Singh Anand, told CBC News. He said that when they reached out to city officials, asking them to make an exception, their pleas were unheard. More than 100 Sikh security guards were given the option to move to lower-paying roles or be terminated, reports The Guardian.
The workers who have been hit by the policy are hired through city contracts with third-party companies.
The World Sikh Organisation (WSO), a non-profit that protects the interests of Sikhs, criticised the policy, calling it completely unreasonable.
“It is completely unreasonable that Sikh security guards who served in their positions at the City of Toronto through the height of the pandemic are now being terminated, reassigned, or demoted for not being clean-shaven,” Tejinder Singh Sidhu, president of WSO, said in a statement. “Visitors to City of Toronto sites are not required to mask and city staff are also not being asked to be clean-shaven. It is unacceptable that the City of Toronto is unwilling to accommodate over 100 dedicated Sikh security guards who are committed to doing their jobs.”
The WSO contacted city officials in June after receiving several complaints and has called them to look into the matter.
A change in policy
Toronto mayor Joh Tory blamed third-party companies for not accommodating workers.
“I’ve asked city staff to work with all contractors involved to immediately resolve this issue and to be absolutely clear that we respect people’s human rights, including freedom of religion, and we expect all contractors to do the same and to properly accommodate employees,” Tory said in a statement.
“No city policy allows contractors to ignore or dismiss their employees’ religious beliefs or to fail to accommodate them,” he added. He has asked firms to rehire Sikh security personnel who were laid off.
“The City of Toronto and all of its contractors must uphold human rights and fully comply with all relevant legislation and City policy. I firmly believe that no person should be discriminated against for their religious beliefs,” Tory tweeted.
In an email to the Canada daily The Star, Erin Whitton, the city of Toronto’s spokesperson, had said that the guards who lost their jobs at city sites were contractors, not the city’s own corporate security staff.
However, the City of Toronto has now apologised for the controversial policy. In an altered directive, it has said that it will permit “under-mask beard covers”. “Effective Tuesday, the City of Toronto said that it will immediately permit ‘under-mask beard covers’ as a reasonable accommodation option for individuals who maintain facial hair as a tenet of their faith and are required to be present at City sites with protective N95 respirator requirements,” the statement said.
It directed contracted security service providers to accommodate Sikh employees who have requested religious exemptions and reappoint those who may have been terminated following the previous directive.
With inputs from agencies
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