ISS signs Halo Code Pledge

The pledge, founded by young black organisers from The Advocacy Academy, seeks to eliminate discrimination around black hairstyles. Though hair is a protected racial characteristic under UK law, many black people have found their careers, education and social acceptance challenged by policies and attitudes around their hair.

According to research by World Afro Day and DeMontfort University, 1 in 5 black women feel pressured to straighten their hair for work, while 58% of black students have faced discrimination or bullying because of their natural hair style.

In signing The Halo Code, ISS seeks to raise awareness of natural hairstyles, codify their protection under company policies, and protect hairstyles with racial and cultural significance across the entirety of its workforce.

Speaking on ISS’s commitment to the pledge, Andrew Olisa, Head of Workplace at ISS UK and Chairman of the Culture, Race and Diversity ERG said:

“By adopting the Halo Code, ISS is proactively taking a stand to ensure that our placemakers faces no barriers or judgments because of their Afro-textured hair. As a father of two daughters, I am glad that ISS is taking this bold step and leading the way in our industry.

Championing the right of staff to embrace their Afro-hairstyles gives our placemakers the freedom and security to wear all afro-hairstyles and creates the inclusive workplace which ISS places a high value on.”

Elena Zachariou, Legal Director at ISS UK and CLT Sponsor for the Culture, Race and Diversity ERG said:

“Our cultures, heritage, history, and our appearance are all part of who we are. In a progressive workplace, those should all be celebrated.

By signing the Halo pledge, we at ISS commit ourselves to embrace all the above. To doing the right thing: representing the people who work alongside us and allowing our colleagues to work with equality and authenticity.

As a company, ISS encourages people to be who they are, become what they want, and be part of something bigger. Celebrating our broad cultural workforce is the first step towards adhering to that value daily.”

 

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NOTES:

ISS Facility Services Limited is a leading workplace experience and facilities management company. With a presence in more than 30 countries worldwide, and with more than 30,000 employees across the UK and Ireland alone, ISS provides innovative workplace solutions that contribute to better business performance aimed at making life easier, more productive, and enjoyable for all — delivered to high standards by people who care.

 

About ISS World:

ISS, a leading workplace experience and facility management company, provides placemaking solutions that contribute to better business performance and makes life easier, more productive and enjoyable – delivered to high standards by people who care. ISS believes that people make places and places make people. From strategy through to operations, ISS partners with over 60,000 customers in 30+ countries to deliver places that work, think and give and is served by 471,056 employees who connect people and places every single day. In 2019, ISS earned DKK 78 billion in revenue. It is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.

 

For media enquiries:

Ryan Scully, ISS UK&I Press Office: ryan.scully@uk.issworld.com | Tel: 07765 771 264

LinkedIn: ISS Facility Services UK

Website: www.uk.issworld.com