The CROWN Act is officially known as the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act. California was the first state to pass such a law, back in 2019. Some other states have followed in their footsteps, but some have not done so yet.
The act has to do with hairstyles. It gives employees protection against employers who tell them they cannot come to work with their hair in a certain way. But it only applies if certain conditions are met.
The particular hairstyle must be natural to the employee
One employee may gain the right to wear dreadlocks to work. Another might gain the right to wear their hair in braids. But not everyone would get that right. For the employee to gain the right to use this hairstyle they would have to show it is natural to their culture, race or religion.
Employers can still make demands on how you wear your hair in certain circumstances
An employer is allowed to tell you to tie your hair up or cover it with a hair net if they are doing so for safety or hygiene reasons.
They may also be able to insist on certain hairstyles as part of their dress code, provided they are doing it for everyone in a similar position. So they could insist all front of house tie their hair up while not expecting it of those who are not visible to customers. But they would need to be sure they are not discriminating against any particular workers in the process. They cannot tell you that you can no longer work front-of-house because your afro does not fit in with the buns the other straight-haired colleagues are expected to wear.
Learning more is wise if you feel your employer may be discriminating against you.