Alaska Airlines Announces New Gender-Neutral Uniform Guidelines

Alaska Airlines is looking to be more inclusive in their internal policies and has announced updates to its uniform guidelines, effectively immediately, looking to provide more freedom and flexibility to employees’ individual and gender expression, according to an Alaska Airlines statement released Monday.

The airline is developing new gender-neutral uniform pieces for frontline employees, including flight attendants, customer service agents, and uniformed lounge employees in collaboration with Seattle designer Luly Yang and with employee input.

Alaska Airlines also announced that it will also allow fingernail polish, makeup, two earrings per ear, and a single-stud nose piercing to all employees. It also updated the grooming policy to allow tattoos in more locations and more hairstyle options, and it will also adjust the names on uniform kits to focus more on fit than on gender.

The previous policy required flight attendants to wear either men’s or women’s uniforms and regulated other aspects of dress, like hairstyle, makeup, and jewelry, based on workers’ assumed gender. The airline came under fire last summer for these regulations, as Justin Wetherell, a nonbinary flight attendant and flight-attendant instructor, spoke out about the rigid standards.

“When I am working as a flight-attendant instructor and allowed to wear regular business attire, I am not forced into Alaska Airlines’ ‘male’ or ‘female’ uniform policies—neither of which fit me because I am non-binary,” Wetherell says in a letter to the airline senior vice president, alleging that the previous policy violated Washington state law.

“But when I work as a flight attendant, I am forced into one of two standards, often for up to four days at a time. I am willing to follow all of the elements of the uniform policy for professional attire, as I do when I work as an instructor, but I don’t want to be forced into a binary uniform that excludes me and leads to me being misgendered at work.”

The statement announcing the new policies references a number of Alaska Airlines employees and their responses to the more inclusive rules. One employee, Mo, voices that she has felt most comfortable wearing the men’s uniform in the past.

“I love who I am and refuse to make myself smaller in order to be accepted. This is one thing that I can’t compromise over,” says Mo, an Alaska Airlines flight attendant based in San Diego. “We all want to look professional, and we all want to be ourselves at the same time—Your gender shouldn’t define what you wear or how you look.”

Jason is another Alaska Airlines flight attendant, and a drag performer by night, and says the uniform changes are very positive. They added that they hope the company will continue to stand by employees when faced with adversity among guests who don’t like seeing people like Jason wearing nail polish.

“Me wearing something that makes me happy and expresses my fashion sense should have no bearing on how you treat me as an individual,” Jason says. “We are all human beings and should treat each other with kindness.”

Alaska Airlines has also created personal pronoun pins, which each employee has the option to wear on their uniform. Isaac, a lead customer service agent in Washington, D.C., uses all pronouns and says they “love” that there has been a greater awareness and sensitivity to individuals’ pronouns.

“But I’m also cognizant that changes take time and I want our society to feel comfortable with how they view and communicate with me,” Isaac says. They add that it’s an exciting time for the company, and that the policy changes represent the company giving employees freedom to be who they are.

“I applaud Alaska Air Group for having the courage to move forward with creating a more inclusive and diverse workplace,” Isaac says. “Celebrating uniqueness so that all teammates feel accepted and, in some ways, celebrated, brings me pure joy.”

James Thomas, Alaska Airlines’ director of diversity, equity, and inclusion, says that he knows firsthand what it feels like to not be seen, heard, or be able to bring your authentic self to work. He says, not only does it feel bad, but it also makes it more difficult to come into work and deliver your best.

“Our employees, guests and communities we serve have my commitment we are going to keep listening and pushing ourselves to be better,” Thomas says.