Could a tattoo or piercing cost you your job?

"Could a tattoo or piercing cost you your job?", July 22 2009

Before the 19th century, the only people in Western society who had tattoos were prostitutes and criminals. However, as time went on and the colonial powers spread to other nations, tattoos became slightly more acceptable in popular culture after becoming a part of military culture.

My grandfather got two tattoos in Panama in 1947 while he was enlisted in the Navy. I always thought his were really cool, and at 10 years old I decided I wanted to get a tattoo when I got older. This decision may have been pre-empted in part because an older cousin got her tattoo that year as well. At 19, I got my first tattoo and I want to get more in the future.

Gen Y has grown up with various idols that have tattoos and piercings including musicians, actors, writers and artists. In recent years there has also been an influx of television programs that focus on the lives of tattoo artists and their shops including Inked, Miami Ink, LA Ink and Tattoo Highway.

I have also come to recognize that I am not an anomaly among my friends. I know many Gen Yers that have tattoos; some have only small images while others have large pieces that cover a lot of their body. Regardless of the size of the image, most of these tattoos can be hidden by clothing.

But this got me thinking: if I was to get a much larger tattoo or one in a more visible place, could that possibly cost me a job?

Even though many of the negative stereotypes toward tattoos have become less prevalent, they may still remain depending on your company’s culture. Unless you want to be a rock star, artist or tattooist, you’re probably not able to have tattoos that cover most of your body because you will not be seen as professional. Having large tattoos or having them in visible areas could cost you a job.

Although this can be seen as discriminatory, technically it is not.

Most workplaces have a dress code, which is a standard for what employees should wear to represents the employer’s brand. Some places of work have a ban on visible tattoos, and depending on the industry this can be appropriate.

For example, you wouldn’t want a kindergarten teacher with two nautical-themed sleeves featuring 1940’s pinup girls and skeletons on his forearms. At the same time, there would be less of a concern if the same teacher had a single tattoo of a scorpion on the bicep because it would remain mostly covered.

Body and facial piercings carry the same workplace issues as tattoos. Once again, depending on their placement on the body and the corporate culture of the workplace a piercing may or may not be considered acceptable.

If you are planning to get a new tattoo or piercing and you are already employed, talk to your current employer to find out what the rules are about piercings and tattoos. If you are looking for work, be wary of the fact that if your new tattoo or piercing is clearly visible it could prevent you from being hired by certain employers.

Gen Y thinks tattoos, piercings and corporate culture mesh, do you?

"Gen Y thinks tattoos, piercings and corporate culture mesh, do you?", July 10 2009

Tattoos and piercings are typically a strike against most applicants when they look for work because it goes against the traditional corporate culture. However, many members of Gen Y have tattoos and some have piercings other than in their earlobes. With the work force changing to include more members of this generation, each workplace must have clearly defined rules and guidelines regarding tattoos and piercings. And some of these policies may need to change.

I have a tattoo and would like to get more eventually. I also have a few non-traditional piercings in my ears. I do not want to be a tattoo artist, musician, actor or artist (some of the few areas of work where tattoos and piercings are considered acceptable, or even desired). Like many of my peers, I wonder if a visible tattoo or piercing will affect my ability to obtain a job, and if opinions of tattoos and piercings vary in different industries.

I understand that a tattoo may be inappropriate in some places of work. For example, you may not want to see a kindergarten teacher with tattoos of pinup girls or guns on their arms. You would also not want to be served by a bank teller who had skull and crossbones on his hand and a teardrop tattoo under his eye. Here, the corporate culture dictates that visible tattoos such as these are inappropriate, and if an individual was to get one after being hired there is grounds for dismissal.

Most individuals who are heavily tattooed know their choice of body adornment may close the door to certain possibilities of employment. However, there is a large difference between one or two small tattoos that are hidden or can be covered by clothing and/or jewelery to an entire tattoo sleeve paired with tattoos on the neck.

Many employers have a rule against visible tattoos and this is due in part to stereotypes against tattoos from past decades. If a policy is exists or is developed about tattoos, it should not be judgmental towards tattoos or those who get them. The number of individuals who have tattoo and have them covered during working hours would surprise many employers and would also disprove any negative assumptions about tattoos that exist.

Tattoos and piercings are becoming a more common part of Western culture and, as a result, they’re becoming part of the workplace as well. Corporate culture needs to adapt and change with more members of Gen Y becoming employed and moving up the ranks in every organization.