Tattoos In The Workplace

Tattoos have been around for quite some time now, and they have always been a symbol of belonging, cultural expression or for religion. These days, individuals choose to tattoo themselves because it is part of their lifestyle or personal image. While continuing to grow in popularity and becoming a lifestyle, people are facing issues with having visible tattoos in the workforce. Although it is a form of free expression, employers have a right to enforce certain rules about tattoos in their company because they have a public image to uphold. How you present yourself to the public is solely important, which is why tattoos should not be allowed to be seen in the workplace, since it may appear offensive or unconservative.

To begin with Leeanne Padowski talks about how tattooos can affect us in our works." A 2011 study by CareerBuilder shows that 31 percent of survey employers ranked having visible tattoo as the top personal attribute that would stop them from promoting an employee" having visible tattoos can stop employers to promote to a

Many employers try not to hire people with tattoos especially as sales representatives. Studies have showed that people with tattoos that are interested in what is sold would gravitate more towards a sales representative with tattoos. As a female with tattoos, I can say that I have personally seen the difference in the way that people may treat me because of my body modifications. Even with body modifications studies may show that the more tattoos and piercings the more deviant the person. I cannot truly agree with this. Tattoos in the tattoo wearer’s eyes are more of a creative freedom or an art form.

Most companies’ customer services’ employers cannot have a visible tattoo. Many believe it is not a professional appearance for their employers. A recent study showed that 31 percent of the employers did not get a promotion due to having a visible tattoo. An ultimatum is made by the employees; either they wear long-sleeve to cover their tattoos on their arm or get the tattoos removed. Tattoo

There are multiple reasons for individuals to tattoo their bodies and the reasons are usually individualistic and subjective. The experience of being tattooed is intricately bound up with one’s character,

Dave Kimmelberg, a Boston lawyer, wrote a book called INKED Inc., which is about people who go to work with concealed tattoos. He feels that in many businesses, it is like a “don’t ask, don’t tell” understanding between the workers and their bosses. Now that he has written the book, many people know that he has tattoos that cover most of his arms, but he still chooses to cover them when dealing with anything professionally (Goodman). Similarly, a Starbuck’s employee named Ron Carter has tattoos on his arms. He gladly covers them up with wristbands in order to keep his job. He understands that in a business relationship, he must follow the rules set by the company, so that they can gain the most profit, and he can keep his job (Feldstein).

Tattoos are becoming very popular amongst the people of my generation, but now they seem to be creating more buzz than ever when it comes to today’s job market. Jon Kelly and Rachel Hennessey wrote articles covering this topic presenting the views of employers and their policies against tattoos. In both articles, they discuss how employers frown upon the art of employees inking. The biggest reason is because, some employers feel that tattoos deliver an unprofessional look to the customer and that can ruin the image built and portrayed by their prosperous companies.

Tattoos have been dated back to 5000 BCE. Tattoos have played the role of being badges of honor, ceremonial markings, signs off social rank, forms of punishment, and of course ways for people to beautify themselves (The Cultural History of Tattoos). Over the past years, tattoos has increased and continues to increase significantly in popularity. According to statistics, 36% of American adults in the U.S. between the ages of 18-25 and 40% of American adults in the U.S. between the ages of 26-40 have at least one tattoo (Seth). While the trend of getting tattoos are increasing, the concerns of the employers starts to increase. People who have tattoos should not be discriminated because it is unethical, a form of self-expression, and art.

Considered as a form of art for some people and unprofessional for others, tattoos are being seen as a familiar form of self-expression that many of the younger and older generations are getting nowadays. Tattoos are a form of body modification along with piercings, but the majority of people in the workplace will be forced to cover up their tattoos while people with piercings are sometimes allowed to keep them in, which causes a form of unnecessary discrimination. According to Garrett D. Kennedy, "Tattoos and body piercings have become increasingly prevalent in the U.S. — over 20% of adults are now tattooed. This number only will be increasing because 38% of millennials (born from 1981-1992) have tattoos, approximately half of whom have two or more, while 23% of millennials have body

Introduction: Is there anyone here that does not like tattoos or likes them, but would never think of getting one? Today, tattoos are a growing in popularity when before tattoos were only seen on people in a circus as an act or on military veterans who wanted to display their troop proudly. Even though there is this growing popularity of tattoos, entry-level jobs require strict dress code policies disapproving the sight of tattoos while at work.

People argue that tattoos should never be shown in a professional setting. Most places of employment even have a dress code that requires you to cover them while working. Employers, in some settings, say that tattoos would or could be offensive or obscene. It was hard to find any article that was against tattoos in the workplace. After a while of searching the internet and databases, I found an article titled “Tattoos in the Workplace: The Research Forbes Was Too Lazy To Do” by Annie Singer. Written on February 26, 2016 and updated February 26, 2017, Singer’s research found that “consumers showed a preference for non-tattooed front-line staff.” She also found that “visible tattoos had a predominantly negative effect on employment selection, driven by the hiring manager’s

Although there are people who are quick to judge and view tattoos in a bad light, there are also the people who keep an open mind and see it for the art that it is. Tattoos have become an up and coming trend leaving employers less likely to have tattoos. Many employees, being the heart of the modern day generation, have tattoos due to the increasing trend.

The art of tattoos has been prevalent in many ancient cultures and represented many different things. In the more recent past times, tattoos were seen in a very negative light; mainly associated with circus freak shows, bikers or outlaws. Even though there are more Americans getting tattoos these days, there is still a disapproving view on tattoos in the workplace. Tattoos are continuously becoming more popular with each generation and more often have some personal meaning. Many companies that have recently started to accept appropriate body art in the workplace have seen positive benefits related to their new policy changes. This debate has also led people to file discrimination lawsuits against their employer. There are occasions that the subject matter or the placement of a tattoo on the body may not be professional for certain types of jobs. With the growing number of people that have body art, the more personal meaning behind it and younger demographics of both people working for and being served by many companies these days, having visible tattoos should no longer be damaging among many careers today. The debate needs to be evaluated by each company, and often each individual situation, to determine if body art can be accepted.

Tattoos today are recognized as totally different than what they were pictured as in the past. “Tattooing is recognized by government agencies as both an art form and a profession and tattoo-related art work is the subject of museum, gallery and educational institution art shows across the United States.” [ (Levins,

Without a doubt, the tattoo culture is on the rise. According to Business Insider (Hiring Managers and Your Tattoos), over 45 million Americans have at least one tattoo, making up for over 14 percent of the United States population. Of the 45 million tattooed Americans, 53 percent have some college education and higher. The website also states that an increase in the number of tattooed people is expected to rise to 75 percent by the year 2025. Big corporations such as Target and Lowe’s have already prepared for this rising trend by openly stating they are tattoo