Nigerian Graduate Had Job Offer Withdrawn in UK because of her Braids

Lara Odoffin, a Nigerian living in the UK had her job offer  revoked because of her hair. She was told that her braids were not part of the ‘uniform’

The Bournemouth University graduate Lara Odoffin wrote about the discrimination she had faced in a post on Facebook yesterday and was astonished when it quickly went viral and was shared 3,000 times.

She also posted a picture of the email she had received from the company, which read: ‘Unfortunately we cannot accept braids – it is simply part of the uniform and grooming requirements we get from our clients.

‘If you are unable to take them out I unfortunately won’t be able to offer you any work.’

In her own post, she wrote: ‘So after being accepted for a position within this company, they have TAKEN BACK the offer of a position on the grounds that if I do not take my braids out.

‘Naturally I simply cannot work for the company. This type of discrimination should not still be happening in this day and age and any establishment still condoning such practices deserve to be shamed and criticised.Being a black woman means that to have a long term hairstyle that stays neat is always going to be a problem. Having braids that last for 2-4 months and can be packed neatly and styled to however a workplace requires is the solution to this problem. No workplace has any right to forbid you from this.”