Syracuse University has announced a formal mandate stating that all food service workers must be “clean shaven” in order to remain employed or gain employment from the university starting in March 2016.

Though the measure has always been a general rule, it has never been fully enforced – meaning its implementation has been weak and miscommunicated throughout the years.

Yet, a sign presently at the front of the Food Services employment office clearly states, “Attention: Must be completely clean shaven to work for food services.” The wording of the statement is unclear and appears to be non-negotiable. This is unacceptable, as SU has the responsibility to transparently communicate its policies so that it’s clear if it will accommodate students with strong religious convictions that prevent them from shaving.

Lynne Mowers, the secretary to the director of Food Services, issued a statement on the policy to The Daily Orange that said it would make accommodations for those with religious conflicts. Food Services representatives in offices across campus declined to comment on the policy without the director’s approval.

There is not a web page with information available about who the shaving mandate applies to, when the policy went into effect or what consequences can be expected from noncompliance. In fact, any information at all about the mandate is curiously missing from the Food Services web page.

At the very bottom of its Food Services employment page, SU calls itself an “EOE/AA [Equal Opportunity Employer/ Affirmative Action] Employer.” But the idea of equal opportunities being given is not readily apparent when information about requirements and procedures are not easily accessible.

The vacuum of information surrounding this mandate effectively discourages anyone whose religion forbids shaving from seeking employment in university food service centers.

The Grooming Practices portion of the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission states that Title VII protects all aspects of religious observance, practice, and belief.

The title names Sikhism as one of its specifically protected religions and lists specific workplace examples of how the rights of a Sikh may be infringed upon in the workplace. Examples #15 and #16 clearly state that an employer cannot ask a religious observant to be clean-shaven without providing reasonable accommodation.

Sikhism, a religion practiced by more than 30 million people worldwide, is one that prohibits the cutting of any hair – facial hair included.

“Not cutting my hair and not shaving my beard is a huge part of who I am,” said Jaskirat Dhillon, a freshman biology major and Sikh. “It not only represents my religion, but is a part of my identity. I have embraced it and could never, would never, deviate from who I am.”

Uncut hair is the first of five “Articles of Faith” in the Sikh religion, and two of the five articles require commitments on the hair of its believers. The Articles are meant to distinguish devout believers and are considered a dedication to religious submission.

With only a single sign on campus to inform him, it appears that the mandate excludes him from employment because of his religious obligations.

In order to truly fulfill its responsibilities as an Equal Opportunity Employer, the university must make information about its policies much easier to access. Deeply religious people often face societal backlash for their decisions, but these individuals deserve tolerance and transparency from employers.

While the university does have plans to make accommodations for students with strong religious convictions, the initial impression this official mandate makes is not one of acceptance.

Zhané Souter is a senior broadcast journalism major and forensic science minor. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at zisouter@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @zhanesouter.

Published on September 16, 2015 at 12:06 am