Tattoos in the workplace

[Adiabatik]

So tonight I decided to take a female companion out to a nice dinner. A dinner the will have a simple party of 2 well into the triple digits. We arrive for our reservation and are promptly seated by a very well-spoken and obviously intelligent hostess (who was not bad-looking may I add). I notice that her entire left arm is covered with what looks like an ACE bandage.

I ask if she was injured, to which she responded, "Oh not at all, I just have a few tattoos that I can't show". Now mind you, I see this a lot but for some reason tonight's encounter continued to bother me. Here I am shelling out quite a bit of money for a romantic dinner.....and I see an employee who is obviously being considered "tasteless" and "embarrassing" when I, too, have quite a bit of tattoos. All of mine are tasteful displays of art, including a sleeve. Nothing on my body is disrespectful or obscene. I take offense to such behaviors by employers.

Why are people with tattoo's continually stereotyped when it comes to employment opportunities? Nowadays equal opportunity employment is stressed throughout the workplace, yet those with tattoos are still "harassed"? I also have known people who have either not gotten the job in the first place.....or were passed up for advancement opportunities solely based on their tattoos.

I understand completely if a tattoo was distasteful or offensive, but most (like our hostess) were excellent works of art.

What are your opinions/thoughts?

 

[Camaro_94]

As long as they aren't offensive, then **** yeah I'm all for them in the work place!

 

[blwn306]

I don't hire workers with tattoos that are visible because yes tats to some people are distasteful and may cost me business. It's a trend right now but to me tattoos do not look good just like some piercings.

 

[Kiohtee]

I'm not trivial enough to care what someone else wants to do to their body.

 

[five.slow]

Got my sleeve knowing this bullshit takes place. It's no longer taboo and people need to get over it. Just because we have tattoos doesn't make us bad people. Had a old lady tell me I was a bad person for having my sleeve, just responded with "I'm so bad I was able to get my family to raise over 1k for an angel tree donation" guess I'm a horrible person. My mother in law thought the same until my wife got a heart on her wrist in memory of her mom recovering from a heart attack. Now she embraces our ink.

 

[Adiabatik]

I don't hire workers with tattoos that are visible because yes tats to some people are distasteful and may cost me business. It's a trend right now but to me tattoos do not look good just like some piercings.

So basically you're saying that "some" people will walk into your place of business and subsequently walk out because an employee of yours has tattoos? Do you honestly need the business of such bigots?

We might as well not hire people based off the color of their skin.....because race is obviously a much bigger influence in todays society than tattoos.

 

[thomas91169]

Tattoos are a choice, skin color isn't.

If you choose to wear such things, you're choosing to become part of the stigma that follows them. You may think they're art but not everyone agrees with you, and most of them are business owners.

If you wanna have tats keep them limited to areas easily concealable if you are planning on entering any type of field where their visibility is frowned upon. It's not rocket science.

I think some tats are art, usually unique or original ones, but most are bland and tasteless. Yay, skulls on fire and/or with snakes, real original bro. Oh a deck of cards, royal flush, because you're the wildcard in your group. Ooh a tribal sleeve, I used to listen to Linkin Park too, we should grab some Pinkberry sometime.

 

[SVTPete83]

I don't hire anyone with a visible tattoo. Ever.. I also don't hire people with gauges, nose rings, lip rings, I make dudes shave there face too. Wow. I sure must be oppressive. Or maybe I just want clean cut, wholesome people dealing with my customers. U don't like it, maybe you can get work in a tattoo parlor or something. Oh and if they get a tattoo after they have been hired. Goodbye!

 

[TBCobra]

Tattoo's come with stereotypes and they most likely wont ever go away. I have a couple myself and certainly dont mind if others "serving" me have them too. At the same time I can understand going into a 5 star restaurant and not wanting to see a dude covered head to toe in tat's.

Everyone has a different tolerance level if you will. Some people dont want to see any tattoo's, others dont mind if you have a few and the rest say "go wild."

 

[Katy TX5.0]

Humans are visual creatures. To us, perfect symmetry is beauty which tattoos are the exact opposite of. No one wants to go into a restaurant and see something unattractive. Tattoos on women are trashy. It makes them take on a masculine aura. There's a perfect natural beauty at my crossfit gym. We're talking the kind of face that's heavenly without an ounce of make up and a perfect body. That's of course before you notice the tat behind her ear and the two on the back of her neck. Then you got some kind of vine going from her thigh up the rib cage. I have a couple myself but they're regrettable and are getting removed.

 

[carrrnuttt]

I have no problem with tattoos. It's your body and you have the freedom to do whatever you want [that's legal] with it.

Just don't bitch when business owners use their freedom to not hire you because they worry that their clients would think that you're a Juggalo.

 

[blwn306]

Personally I don't like tattoos and I do use them to judge the type of person I'm dealing with. But this is mostly because of where I live and has a lot to do with gangs. When I run into someone that is tatted I can usually tell what kind of character they have. Now I'm never gonna be rude or not want to be waited on by someone with tattoos, tattoos doesn't mean the person is gonna under perform or hurt me.

And yes customers will not buy from my store! I get a lot of women that come in and it makes women uncomfortable that doesn't make them bigots. Men could really careless some of the elderly will make comments. I'm sorry that person made a choice to out tattoos in visible places but that was a choice and most will and do face job market issues.

I'm not judging by skin color or race I'm looking at the fact that that individual made a poor choice

 

[TBCobra]

We're talking the kind of face that's heavenly without an ounce of make up and a perfect body. That's of course before you notice the tat behind her ear and the two on the back of her neck. Then you got some kind of vine going from her thigh up the rib cage.

 

[Mr. Mach-ete]

I hired a very nice guy several years ago to work as an installation tech for my HVAC business. He came dressed to the interview in a long sleeve button down shirt and khaki pants, his entire body was covered. The interview went well so I gave him a shot and hired him.

The following day he shows up with shorts and a tee shirt on, my jaw hit the floor. He was covered on both legs and both arms with full sleeve tattoos. He had bolts and nuts hanging everywhere from his face, WTF. Where did the clean cut guy go I hired yesterday go!?

With in two weeks I had customers calling me on the phone insisting that I not send this kid back to their home. One of them told me he looked like he belonged in prison and he was scary looking. I ended up letting him go, I was loosing customers. I pulled him aside the day I cut him loose and told him why I could no longer keep him. He was disappointed but I was not about to loose business because of his tats.

 

[CobraBob]

I have no problem with tattoos. It's your body and you have the freedom to do whatever you want [that's legal] with it.

Just don't bitch when business owners use their freedom to not hire you because they worry that their clients would think that you're a Juggalo.

^^^ This. ^^^

While tattoos are popular today along with multiple body piercings, you do them at the risk that an employer may frown on them. Like it or not, many people do not feel comfortable with them. Which is why many employers frown on it and won't hire people who either have visible tattoos or piercings that are considered unusual/unattractive. Ie. ear piercings and a small nose piercing are widely accepted because they don't draw undue attention to them, but a bar through the lip probably isn't. Like Carrrnuttt said, you have the freedom to do whatever you want to your body (that's legal), but don't complain when an employer won't hire you. That's their right. By the way, employer discrimination says that no one should have the right to deny another person a job or to harass someone on the job because of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or disability. Body piercings and tattoos are not included.

And, I don't personally have any issue with tattoos that are not distasteful or obscene. I just saw a girl in her early 20s last week in Boston at a restaurant (she was a waitress) and I commented to my wife that I thought her partial sleeve looked nice.

 

[ctubbs]

There is a difference between a tasteful tattoo and a prison tattoo. I am a business owner and I would not hire someone covered in prison tats. I have a full arm and a leg sleeve. I knew once I got one I would be judged differently. I also took into consideration that later in life it may/may not effect my career options. I proudly embrace my tattoos, but at the same time I would have no problem covering them up for a employer. I wouldn't make it a issue, just except the fact that everyone is entitled to their opinion.

 

[truefiveo]

I personally just can't marry or have children with a chick with tatted sleeves or a chest piece. Same for frisky bisexual women...fun for dating and in the sack but nothing I wanna wife or take home to my folks.

 

[VirtualSVT]

I fully support and hire people covered in Tattoo's. My business is not customer facing though. If it was I would only hire people that could cover their tattoo's 100% from sight.

I've seen it in retail a million times. Nobody wants a tatted person to help.

This picture is 100% true and will be for a very long time:

 

[DaleM]

I personally just can't marry or have children with a chick with tatted sleeves or a chest piece. Same for frisky bisexual women...fun for dating and in the sack but nothing I wanna wife or take home to my folks.

My sisterin-law is a very good looking girl. She lives in Lithuania and was burned badly on both arms when she was a child.

She would always wear long sleeved shirts to hide them. recently she covered the burns with tattoos and she is so happy I can't explain it here.

For work she covered her scars I am sure she would not make a stink about her tats.

once you allow them do you get in the business of determining which ones are acceptable or not? Cover them up and keep the job, show them and quit.

 

[Planter]

So basically you're saying that "some" people will walk into your place of business and subsequently walk out because an employee of yours has tattoos? Do you honestly need the business of such bigots?

We might as well not hire people based off the color of their skin.....because race is obviously a much bigger influence in todays society than tattoos.

how are they bigoted because they don't like tattoo's? :dw:

I think they're very distasteful, and it's also very unprofessional.

appearance and image are everything in today's politically correct driven society.

for the record, I have one tattoo on my right shoulder, but when I'm at work, I wear a shirt that covers it.

to each their own if they want a tattoo, but at work cover it and be a professional. :shrug:
you're at work to WORK, not to put on an art show on your body.