Anantara Maldives resort’s staff stop shaving in protest to obtain their “human right” to sport beards

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Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas' local employees have decided not to shave their beards as a sign of protest against the 5-star-hotel's policy of obligating them not to sport beards, the Maldives' news website "Vaguthu" reported on Sunday.

The decision comes in the wake of the Maldivian staff's repeated appeals to the resort's management to revoke it's obligatory policy of shaving for men, "Vaguthu" reported in a Maldives' native Dhivehi language article.

The staff had raised the issue with concerned authorities but to no avail, "Vaguthu" cited the Tourism Employees Association of Maldives (TEAM) as saying, adding that the resort's employees representing the union had raised and discussed the issue requesting Anantara to annul its regulation which required that all male employees shave every day.

In order to ensure human rights, and until the staff and the management can reach an amicable solution, the employees will not shave starting on Monday but will turn up for work, TEAM was quoted as saying.

The issue of obligating staff to shave is a long time problem at resorts, Vaguthu reported, stating that the first time a resort revoked that regulation was on 1 May: Dusit Thani Maldives and InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort did away with that regulation on occasion of International Workers' Day, "Vaguthu" added.