Tattoos In The Work Force

People must accept the fact that employees represent the public face of a company, so it is important that they follow the employer’s guidelines to respect their company image. Your tattoos may or may not be an issue to the employer but it all depends on the location and size. With visible body piercings, they can ask you to remove them when you’re at work. Although tattoos cannot be removed like piercings, your employer can request that visible tattoos be covered at work (Whickson). If the tattoo can be hidden, then it shouldn’t be burdensome for the employee to simply cover it up to comply with the guidelines. In a 2001 study done by Vault.com, a research and employment information services company that profiles U.S. companies, almost 60 percent of employers said they would be less likely to hire someone with visible tattoos or piercings (Dellavega). Consider yourself lucky if your tattoos can be covered, because having a job is better than being rejected due to visible body art. Some may feel that people with tattoos are treated differently, but the employer is avoiding discrimination by giving you a chance to conceal them, which is a way for them to accommodate tattooed employees.

These jobs include healthcare, administrative, teachers, government, law enforcement and management. These jobs are professionals and are trying to set a good example for the upcoming generations. These jobs you may have tattoos or piercings but they must be hidden. Being in the healthcare industry, if you were to get a new tattoo you could push getting an infection or giving an infection in your place of work such as in a hospital or nursing home. Being in law enforcement having piercings can be dangerous because suspects can pull them out and can cause them harm. Teachers with tattoos can be “distracting for students” or parents think that they will set a bad example for their children

A large number of businesses do not allow tattoos that are visible. Many also prohibit piercings, other than single earrings on women. Some industries even take their policies to the extreme of not allowing any tattoos that take up more than 25% of a body part, and if a pre-existing tattoo is too large or obscene, it must be removed (Powers). This even applies if a uniform can easily cover the tattooed area.

expanding their client lists, and they are making more money than they have in the past (Piercings and Tattoos). Throughout time, the price of tattoos has changed. In the 1920’s the cost of getting a tattoo was between the price of $125 and $200. Depending on what part of the body the tattoo was put on, the cost could even be up to $300.

Tattoos and piercings have always been a debatable subject among individuals. In my writing, I will try to explain both sides of this issue and help people realize that tattoos and piercings are not a terrible thing to have. I will explain how they are just a way to self-express and how they are forms of art, not just tattoos. The individuals that conduct interviews use discrimination when hiring; not want to hire people that have a full sleeve of tattoos or a ring in their nose, tongue, lip and so on.

Over the past couple of decades, tattoos have become very popular. The popularity of tattoos has grown 13% since 2007 and it continues to rise. The percentage of tattooed adults in the United States is 42%. With the rise and popularity of tattoos, health care professionals should be a lot more lenient

As someone that has been in a position of a hiring manager, and someone with tattoos, I have been on both sides of this debate. While I do appreciate that my employer does not require it, I personally keep my tattoos covered most of the time. I want to be judged by my skills and not what someone thinks of my body art. When someone does notice my tattoos, I often get the “Wow, I would have never thought you would have tattoos” comment. I understood many perceptions of me could possibly change when I decided to get tattooed, therefore I chose to get them where they can be easily covered. This has been a personal choice on how to approach this subject. I would be much more comfortable with having them visible; I see them as much a part of me as I do my hair color.

Tattoos in today’s business society are a lot of times frowned upon for being unprofessional and not acceptable. Businesses assume if a possible future employee of theirs has tattoos or piercings they may not be as intelligent as one without tattoos. Society associates people with tattoos as bad people and they judge them based on how they look which is wrong. “In a study 31 percent of human resource managers said visible tattoos could have a negative impact on their decision whether to hire someone, but bad breath weighed even heavier in the survey. Employees with chewed fingernails and dark suntans were offered fewer promotions, the survey said.”(Burlington)

Allstate Insurance, Bank of America and the ad factorship Wieden-Kennedy have no reservations nearly lease those with tattoos or piercings. There is diversity in opinions of men v. women and then there’s the issuance of drumbeat and piercings. But the same hotel may have less business if a dishwasher in the kitchen has those same tattoos ask outspoken brush with the hotels customers is minimal. Nearly half of 26-40-year-olds (40 percent) and 36 percent of 18-25-year-olds have mark, and 22 percent of 26-40-year-olds and 30 percent of 18-25-year-olds have at least one substance piercing, according to the Pew Research

Although tattoos are popular, they can make it hard for a person to find a job.

Have you ever been turned down for a job because you have tattoos? I have a family member that has twenty-four tattoos and currently has a job that he has worked hard to obtain. He keeps his tattoos covered when working allowing him to remain on a professional level and still have the ability to express himself in his free time. Although tattoos should be allowed in the workplace they may be considered unprofessional and inappropriate in both image and language. On the other hand, tattoos are personal and should not affect the person’s career choice. If we accept the growing number of tattoos, cases that discriminate against those who have tattoos and healthcare jobs being affected the most by people who have tattoos. Then we should accept that it is necessary for people with tattoos to be protected by the federal government with discrimination laws in place.

Only 32% of students surveyed in Arkansas, California, and Ohio believe that having visible tattoos would hinder a person’s chance of getting a job. (Bevill, Bracy, Dale, Glasgow, & Roach, 2009) It is just what they believe, not what is true.

Since I was a little girl, I have always admired the different ways people “decorate” their bodies: colored hair, make-up, piercings, and tattoos. Though some may be a tad bit outrageous for my taste, I always appreciated it. Piercings, though visible a majority of the times, are easily hidden. There are special piercing rings that are clear, so that they may not be seen if prohibited in a certain environment. Tattoos on the other hand are a much more complicated issue. Tattoos of coarse can be done in areas of the body where one can cover them up with clothing. But what about other areas not so easy to cover, areas such as; hands, neck, face, and arms. I have always been told that I must be careful where I

However, people should not be denied a career because of the art they have on their bodies. Just because an individual has tattoos does not mean they are unprofessional or unworthy of a high-paying job. Colleges do not deny people an education because they have tattoos. If a person with tattoos has a higher education and a better background than someone without tattoos who is going for the same job, then the person with tattoos should get the job. But due to the nature of businesses, the person with less experience would most likely be the candidate picked based on appearance. In the workplace, when people look at someone that is covered in tattoos they automatically discriminate against this person. It is almost as if they think that image determines their demeanor and professionalism. This person can be the most courteous and professional person in the world, but no one would ever know because this person was not given a chance due to their appearance and the judgment of others.

Just because someone has chosen to get a tattoo, that does not mean you should automatically dismiss them for a position they applied for. If the potential employee meets all of the requirements, then why let their appearance prevent them from getting a job? In the article “My Body is Not My Resume”, the author wrote “ Professionalism is crucial, but treating a job professionally and treating people with professionalism is far more important than wearing the correct attire. A cotton blend doesn't turn in paperwork on time, or organize effectively and neither does a tattoo. It's the person who does the job, not the tattoo, piercing or suit.” (My Body is Not My Resume 1) If you truly care about your business establishment, can you imagine hiring someone with no tattoos who is less qualified than the person who has a moon tattooed on their hand? You wouldn't doubt the professionalism of Google, Quicken Loans, and Amazon, but they have a business casual dress code. (My Body is Not My Resume 2) You read that correctly. Those businesses are some of the most successful businesses and they have a casual dress code. And many of the workers for these companies do have tattoos and other forms of body art. Author James Madera mentions that, as often as we as a society like to talk about how we want equality and how much we would like to embrace our diversity, we have several stereotypes for every religion, race, color, and lifestyle. Which is never going to get us anywhere. It is not fair to use the tattoo stereotype in a workplace because just because there is an image or symbol on a person that does not make them less qualified. (Madera 7) Even if there is a formal attire dress code, visible tattoos and body are should