Evidence-Based Workplace Transformation
Hair discrimination in the workplace is measurable, pervasive, and costly. Research demonstrates that Black women’s hair is 2.5 times more likely to be perceived as unprofessional (Dove/LinkedIn, 2023), that 80 percent of Black women feel pressured to alter their natural hair for work, and that employees experiencing hair-based bias show reduced engagement, higher turnover intentions, and increased stress-related health costs.
CROWN’s corporate training programme addresses this challenge with the same rigour we bring to our research and technology — through evidence, measurement, and structured intervention.
Programme Modules
CROWN’s training programme comprises four modules, each designed as a standalone session or as part of a comprehensive engagement. Modules are delivered by CROWN-certified facilitators with expertise in discrimination research, organisational psychology, and policy analysis.
Module 1: Understanding Hair Discrimination
Duration: Half-day (3-4 hours)
Audience: All employees, from entry level to senior leadership
This foundational module establishes the evidence base. Participants explore the history and science of hair discrimination, its prevalence across professional settings, its psychological and economic impact, and the legal landscape — including emerging legislation in France, the United States, and the European Union.
Key content areas:
- What hair discrimination is and how it manifests in professional environments
- The science of hair texture, the limitations of subjective classification, and why “professional appearance” standards are not culturally neutral
- Data from the Dove/LinkedIn CROWN Workplace Research Study, the Yale Impact of Hair Discrimination study, and CROWN’s own CDI research
- Legal obligations under existing anti-discrimination frameworks and emerging hair-specific legislation
- The distinction between intentional discrimination and structural bias embedded in policies and norms
Outcomes: Participants gain a shared, evidence-grounded understanding of hair discrimination — what it is, why it persists, and what the organisation’s obligations and opportunities are.
Module 2: CDI Assessment and Benchmarking
Duration: Full day (6-7 hours)
Audience: HR leadership, DEI teams, compliance officers, senior management
This module applies CROWN’s CDI methodology to measure discrimination within a specific organisation. Using validated survey instruments and structured assessment protocols, the module produces a baseline CDI score — a quantified, benchmarkable measure of hair discrimination prevalence and severity within the organisation.
Key content areas:
- Introduction to the CDI framework: prevalence, severity, and economic impact dimensions
- Deploying the CDI survey instrument within the organisation (administered confidentially and anonymised)
- Interpreting CDI results: what the score means, how it compares to available benchmarks, where the organisation stands
- Identifying specific policy areas, departmental patterns, and cultural norms that drive the score
- Setting measurable reduction targets and tracking improvement over time
Outcomes: The organisation receives a quantified CDI baseline score, a diagnostic of where discrimination manifests, and a framework for tracking progress — metrics that can be reported under CSRD and ESG frameworks.
Module 3: Grooming Policy Audit
Duration: Full day (6-7 hours)
Audience: HR leadership, legal/compliance teams, policy drafters
This module conducts a systematic review of the organisation’s grooming, dress code, and personal appearance policies. Many organisations maintain policies that, while facially neutral, disproportionately restrict hairstyles associated with Afro-textured hair — including natural curls, locs, braids, cornrows, and Bantu knots.
Key content areas:
- Systematic review of all written grooming and appearance policies
- Analysis of unwritten norms, informal expectations, and managerial practices
- Legal risk assessment: how current policies map to existing anti-discrimination law and emerging legislation
- Case study analysis: real-world cases where grooming policies led to discrimination claims (including the Air France case, 2022)
- Policy redrafting: developing grooming standards that are genuinely inclusive without compromising legitimate health and safety requirements
- Implementation guidance: communication strategies, manager training, and employee feedback mechanisms
Outcomes: The organisation receives a comprehensive audit report, a revised grooming policy framework, and implementation guidance — reducing legal risk while creating a genuinely inclusive workplace.
Module 4: CROWN Diagnostic Certification
Duration: Two days
Audience: Salon professionals and hair specialists
This module — currently in development — will train salon professionals to use CROWN’s diagnostic technology to perform objective, sensor-verified hair assessments. Certified professionals will be able to offer clients a CROWN Hair DNA profile, replacing subjective visual assessment with multi-dimensional, sensor-backed analysis.
Note: This module will be available once CROWN’s diagnostic device completes its development and validation programme. Professionals interested in early access should register their interest through our Salon Partnership programme.
Delivery Formats
CROWN’s training programme is available in three delivery formats.
On-site delivery. CROWN facilitators deliver modules at the organisation’s premises. On-site delivery is recommended for Modules 2 and 3, which involve organisation-specific assessment and policy review.
Virtual delivery. Modules 1 and the introductory components of Module 2 are available via secure video conferencing. Virtual delivery enables participation across multiple office locations and time zones.
Hybrid delivery. Combines on-site assessment with virtual follow-up sessions — particularly effective for organisations with distributed teams.
Who Benefits
CROWN’s training programme serves organisations of all sizes and sectors. Organisations that have invested in diversity and inclusion but want to move from aspiration to measurement. Organisations facing regulatory requirements under CSRD or national anti-discrimination legislation. Organisations that want to address grooming policy risk before it becomes a legal or reputational issue. Organisations whose employees have raised concerns about hair-based bias in the workplace.
The programme is not punitive. It is diagnostic and constructive — designed to help organisations understand where they stand, measure their current position objectively, and build a documented pathway to improvement.
What the Programme Does Not Include
CROWN’s training programme does not include off-the-shelf e-learning modules, one-size-fits-all diversity presentations, or compliance checkbox exercises. Every engagement is tailored to the organisation’s specific context, workforce, and policy environment.
The programme is grounded in CROWN’s research — the same evidence base that informs our legislative analysis and CDI development. Participants receive evidence, not platitudes.
Request a Proposal
To discuss CROWN’s corporate training programme, contact us at [email protected] with the following information:
- Organisation name and sector
- Number of employees and locations
- Modules of interest
- Preferred delivery format and timeline
- Any specific concerns or objectives (e.g., grooming policy review, CSRD compliance, employee feedback)
CROWN will respond within five business days with a tailored programme proposal.