"It got to the point where the majority (of my coworkers) wanted change," Brandon Wesley, 19, told CNN Money.

Many commenters on the petition agreed with Wesley, including one man named William:

"I am a long time shopper at Publix and I find the dress code enforeced there [sic] offensive. This isn't the 1950's, after all. I have worn a beard for most of my adult life (I am now on the cusp of 50 years old), and cannot fathom why Publix enforces such silly, outdated rules on appearance."

Read CNN Money's full story.

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Rebecca Ramage-Tuttle, assistant director of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, says the the DOE rule change is “a slippery slope” for civil rights. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC