Key Points
- Victoria's Sikh community rejoices as new rule means healthcare professionals are allowed to keep beard while on the job.
- The state's health services had earlier encouraged workers to be 'clean-shaven' to ensure safety.
- Community members who don a beard due to cultural reasons had called the rule discriminatory and lobbied for a change.
When Jaswinder Singh Soni heard about the Victorian government's decision to allow people with beards to continue working in healthcare without having to shave, he called it "a second shot at a dream career".
The state government had earlier encouraged people working in healthcare to
These masks became a mandate during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that infections and viruses were not transferred to healthcare professionals.
For some like Singh who keep a beard due to cultural or religious reasons, this decision weighed heavily.
While I understood the government's safety concerns, I could not bring myself to cut off my beard entirely as it hurt my and my family's beliefs.Jaswinder Singh Soni
Unshorn hair is one of the five articles of faith in Sikhism.
While Singh did trim his beard to continue his volunteer work with a Victoria-based hospital, the medical student said he was not entirely comfortable with the choice.
He told SBS Punjabi he felt he had been forced to choose between his religious identity and his career.
Jaswinder Singh Soni with his family (left) and while performing his duties in the health sector (right). Credit: Supplied by Jaswinder Singh Soni
It felt particularly unfair that the rule about needing to be clean-shaven to work in emergency healthcare continued even after the COVID-19 pandemic was over.Jaswinder Singh Soni
Now, following the new ruling, he is excited to continue his healthcare dream.
"God willing, I will study and work as a critical care paramedic and not only make my community proud but also will be able to give back to Australia," he said.
What has changed?
The Victorian government last week announced that which allows them to safely sustain their facial hair.
and previously approved the alternative method for Sikh professionals to wear masks while keeping their beards intact in 2022, while allows reasonable adjustments on a risk-assessed basis.
The 'thattha' is an elastic band which can be tightly wrapped around a beard. This compresses the facial hair and allows a level surface, ensuring an N-95 mask can be worn to fit all safety guidelines.
This decision has come after a two-year statewide trial led by the Royal Melbourne Hospital along with WorkSafe Victoria, the Department of Health, and Safer Care Victoria.
Image displaying use of the 'Singh Thattha' technique to cover facial hair. Credit: Clinical Excellence Commission
Premier Jacinta Allan commented on this "long-held issue of concern for members of our Sikh community" in a media statement.
This is a significant step forward in making our healthcare system culturally inclusive for all our hardworking staff.Jacinta Allan, Victorian Premier
“The ongoing advocacy from our dedicated multicultural health workers and local Sikh community members has played an important part in the success of this trial and will go a long way to keeping Victorians safe," Allan said.
Ingrid Stitt, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, said in : "We're glad to support our multicultural health workers with this important change in our healthcare system so they can continue to deliver world class health care.”
'End of indirect discrimination'
Harmick Singh, the secretary of the Victorian Sikh Gurduara Council, lobbied for the cause for over two years.
"Not allowing bearded individuals to work without sacrificing their identity was (a form of) indirect discrimination," he told SBS Punjabi.
"Beards are part of cultural identity not only for Sikhs, but also for Muslims and Jews."
Harmick Singh is the secretary of Victorian Sikh Gurduaras Council. Credit: Supplied by Harmick Singh
I am happy that our future generations can continue to work in the healthcare services without having to lose their cultural and religious identities.Harmick Singh, secretary of Victorian Sikh Gurudwara Council
"The rule has not only caused financial loss to students who chose to keep their religious and cultural identities and hence had to drop out of these services. But those who continued to work in the field had to go through enormous emotional turmoil too," he said.
Last year, he led a delegation to meet with Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas seeking exemption from being clean shaven for health professionals for whom a beard was a part of their cultural and/or religious beliefs.
Jaswinder Singh, whose career dreams have been reignited, said the decision has broad meaning for his community.
"Sometimes, situations arise where we feel that our community values and the norms here are not aligning. But the government here listens to our problems and works towards finding a solution," he said.
"If we work persistently, new pathways open up."
LISTEN TO
New mask rule gives Sikhs like Jaswinder a 'second shot' at healthcare career: 'My beard, my identity'
SBS Punjabi
02/10/202422:58
Click on the audio icon to listen to the full report and interview in Punjabi.
