BC ferries workers ask for religious exemption from clean-shaven rule
A union representing marine workers is taking BC Ferries to task over one of the company’s policies regarding facial hair.
Dan Kimmerly, president of the Ships Officers’ Component of the BC Ferry & Marine Workers’ Union, says three employees are looking for religious exemptions from the policy that men must be clean-shaven
“The members that we’re directly representing in this specific instance right now are from the Sikh community,” Kimmerly said.
All employees are expected to have clean-shaven faces in case they need to wear masks while fighting fires on the vessel, but Kimmerly says the policy differs depending on where in the company employees are located.
