Close shave: Is it legal to set a no-beard facial hair policy for male staff? SUBSCRIBE Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic provided many men the welcome opportunity to grow out facial hair. But as vaccination efforts and waning occupancy restrictions continue to allow more workers back into offices, will those razors come out of retirement? Undoubtedly, some men will choose to go back to shaving regularly. Others may not want to abandon their new look. Depending on the facial hair policies of their employer, the beard may stay or need to go. Are facial hair policies legal? While many organizations do not mind if employees sport facial hair, some employers like a clean-shaven culture. They believe the look best represents their brand. Others allow facial hair to a degree, such as setting rules about beard length.