A recent incident involving a part-time promoter at Tangs department store has led to a policy change on the wearing of religious headgear in the company.

President Halimah Yaacob also weighed in on the matter, saying that discrimination of any form and against anyone has "no place at all in our society".

However, this is not the first time that Singaporeans have questioned such workplace policies.

One Singaporean lady, Insyirah SD, has come forth to share her experience with Sephora, showing that workplaces in Singapore have become more inclusive over the past few years.

Did not allow staff to wear hijab when stores first opened

Insyirah revealed that she had first applied for a job at the make-up chain in 2013, back when there were only four stores islandwide.

It was only after she passed the job interview, was Insyirah informed that she would have to remove her hijab while working.

Insyirah then questioned why staff weren't allowed to don religious headgear, especially as Singapore is a "supposed multi-racial country".

She also cited the fact that she had seen staff in the United States wearing hijabs as well.

Following Insyirah's questioning, Sephora's human resource team eventually allowed her to don a hijab while working after looking into the issue.

Glad she played a part

Insyirah expressed how glad she was that she had decided to voice out her opinion long ago.

Elaborating on how she had seen numerous staff members wearing hijabs when she visited a Sephora store recently, she added that everyone plays a part.

"I didn’t think my small voice could have a large impact eventually," she said.

She added that wearing the hijab did not make her look any less professional, or deter customers from approaching her.

In the post, Insyirah shared some photos of her in her Sephora uniform and headscarf.

"Women can still look professional even with their hijab"

She also shared her appreciation for the efforts the Sephora team had made over the years, considering the harsh standards in the beauty industry.

In the past few years, Sephora has made efforts to subvert traditional beauty standards by advocating for diversity, racial equality and inclusivity.

The brand has done this by getting women of diverse races, ages and physiques to front their campaign, among other initiatives.

Speaking to Mothership, Insyirah shared that she is not working at Sephora anymore.

The 32-year-old added that she has not faced any issues with wearing a hijab during work in her subsequent jobs.

Sharing her feelings about the recent incident at Tangs department store, Insyirah said that she could empathise with the promoter who was asked to remove her hijab, and that she felt slightly affected to know that some workplaces still have such policies and mindsets.

Women can still look professional even with their hijab, so dress codes should not be an issue, she said. Additionally, wearing a hijab should not deter someone from doing their job well.

Nevertheless, Insyirah is happy Tangs department store has updated their clothing policy.

She'd also like to give a shout-out to the promoter's boss who spoke up for her during the incident.

"That shows unity — something we desperately need in these times," she added.

You can read Insyirah's full post here.

Top photo from Insyirah SD / FB and Lily Anna Lee / Google Maps