Tattoos and the workplace

[slayer9019]

So to all the tattooed people out there....how are your experiences with being tattooed in the workplace? I work in the definition of corporate America and find tattoos to be far and wide (as much as I can see). I have ran into a few people with visible work but usually they "get away with it" due to insane skill at their job. I once met an administrator with a panther smack across his throat!

I understand from many conversations I've had with the people I work with that tattoos are considered "bad" or "poor decisions", and I usually defend the nameless tattooed people that are commented on while in such a conversation. This being said, I will not stop my dream of being covered, (to hell what they say!). I can do my job regardless with what my body looks like. I just am waiting for the day when someone makes a comment such as mentioned before and I can just lift a pant leg or roll a sleeve up and say..."so, am I a 'bad person' as well?"

[MadeIndelible]

I work in a restaurant right now, and one of the waitresses has a small wrist script tattoo that is easily visible during work. I don't think they would be too keen on a hand/neck tattoo or anything, though. I'm just going to keep my hands and neck clear until I know what I want to do with my life.

[Jaycel Adkins]

Thinks reality won't twist itself to fit tattoos, unless you can shape your own reality, i.e. run your own show, then you can do what the hell you want.

[slayer9019]

Thinks reality won't twist itself to fit tattoos, unless you can shape your own reality, i.e. run your own show, then you can do what the hell you want.

Yea I have seen this before. The guy who owns my cigar shop has a bunch of visible tattoos. At the same time at least in my career the people you work with have their own opinions which could lead to no work.

[jade1955]

I work in an office environment with a small team working a nightshift and my workmates know I'm tattooed. All that is visable are the tips of an eagles wings on the back of my neck. The only reason I don't show them is that I always wear a long sleaved shirt at work, although once, when I had to pop in to work on my time off I was wearing a t shirt because thats how I usually dress when I'm not at work.

At my age I couldn't care less about climbing the corperate ladder, never could when I think about it (never did like the idea of my tongue tasting of shit). The only reason that I don't have any tattoos on my hands is because you never know what is around the corner as far as employment is concerned and unfortunately tattoos still carry a stigma. During my last year at work, before I retire, I will get my hands done though.

[Rich Rogers]

I work at UPS. I was an hourly employee and got promoted with a inside forearm tattoo, my right calf, and i have another one that can hide, but thats not the point. I was promoted to a supervisor with these tattoos. Just a couple months ago our HUB got a new District Manager and he saw a coworkers tattoo and changed the dress code. Now i wear a Basketball sleeve with my usual polo and slacks. I find it ridiculous as right when this all of a sudden happened i had just began working on my sleeve.

Also may i remind you, none of my coworkers or my employees have a problem with my tattoos, they find it also ridiculous that i have to cover them up. We do not work in front of customers, its a warehouse where we sweat.

[asradin]

As much as I'd love to get covered I doubt that I'll really be able to get anything done below my elbows. Although I work in a University, the people I work for tend to be 30 or so years older than me and they still have the view that tattoos are for "less tan reputable" people which means I have to keep myself covered most of the time. Added to that, the "big names" I want to work for all have the old fashioned view and I know that until I'm on an equal level with them (which could take another 30 years) I won't be able to get many if any visible tattoos. I don't mind though, just means I'm saving the easy spots like forearms until last :D

[Kev]

I'll start by saying I am a 36 year old technical writer with a degree. I work in an awesome office environment (small group of 9, software co.) and I've had no issues. When I first started I wore long sleeves and pants everyday; eventually the manager told me to 'loosen up' since everyone else wore shorts,tees, and flip flops = )

The sort of work I do doesn't require face time with clients and the only thing customers see of me is my written work, so it's much more behind the scenes. But I have chosen to tattoo concealable spots first (ie, no below elbow, above collar.) To be honest, I like having hidden tattoos.

[Jaycel Adkins]

I agree with Kev.

Hidden tattoos are awesome, loves the idea of someone with a 'full-suit', but can't tell because they are wearing a conservative button down suit.

The dichotomy is pretty sweet.

[s33ktruth]

I use to work for Chase in a corporate office, I was a foreclosure analyst. One of the VP's who was head of Bankruptcy had his throat and neck done, and top of his hands tattooed. I for myself when I first started wore long sleeves, or a cardigan, and noticed some more people with a random fore arm tattoo walking around once I learned about the policy and tattoos at any workplace. What it's boiled down to most companies is as long as it's not offensive or say "fuck you", you should be treated like anyone else.

Eventually I was wearing polos or short sleeve dress shirts and nobody really cared that I had sleeves and parts of my hand done. If anything random managers or VP's would come talk to me on break and ask about the art, and asked which dept I was from...was a neat icebreaker to meet them if I wanted to ever in the future switch depts and try something else out. Currently, I work for a small office doing a hybrid IT job (includes researching for recruiting and working with databases). The owners are genuine people and do not care at all that I have tattoos. Fortunately, I could say I'm lucky, but also, the times are changing for workplace and it's beginning to be very common for employees, managers, etc. to have tattoos also.

As far as my career goes, I free lance design/intern for design, and after my associates plan on looking into being a system/network administrator. Most IT jobs do not care about the tattoos and sometimes let you work remotely from home.

[hogg]

If anything random managers or VP's would come talk to me on break and ask about the art, and asked which dept I was from...was a neat icebreaker to meet them if I wanted to ever in the future switch depts and try something else out.

See, that's why I wear long sleeves to work. I realize that tattoos are conversation-starters, but unless the person I'm talking to is also tattooed, chances are I don't wanna have that conversation. I'm a copywriter for a big company with thousands of employees globally. I work as part of a small creative team, all of whom know I'm tattooed and none of whom care, but there are a lot of, for lack of a kinder word, uptight people in my office. I recognize that, to them, there's a huge difference between someone with a small tattoo here and there and someone (like me) with full sleeves.

It's always funny when I roll my cuffs up a bit and someone asks, "So how far up do those go?" I just smile and say, "All the way."

[s33ktruth]

It's always funny when I roll my cuffs up a bit and someone asks, "So how far up do those go?" I just smile and say, "All the way."

You should say..."do you want the whole tamale, or just the tip". that would be LOL worthy XD

[kirkson]

I work in a very conservative industry in a large office, and its just not an option to have anything visible. I know for a fact there a sizable group in the office is tattooed (wtf, its LA, right?) but all of us are very careful to conceal during work hours. There's no policy or anything like that, but it's just not a recipe for advancement, or even respect, in this environment. Anyway, as Kev said, I like the hidden aspect of it all.

This actually came up just yesterday, started some new work on my arm and the design had to be adjusted to make sure it didn't come down too far. Frustrating, but the same job that restricts me gives me the freedom (read:cash) to get the work done in the first place.

[Shadow]

I am a teacher and I keep my tattoos covered at school. No one has ever told me to cover them and I know other teachers with small tattoos that show, but I prefer to keep them hidden. All of my colleagues have seen them and most of my students too (it's a great reward for a student to show him your latest tattoo). I decided to cover them when I first started because I was a young teacher and I wanted to work a few years and gain credibility from the parents and staff. I guess I was nervous about some parents judging me based on my tattoos. I don't really worry about that anymore, but I still see hiding my tattoos as one way to keep my personal life and professional life separate, which is really important to me.

[s33ktruth]

I am a teacher and I keep my tattoos covered at school. No one has ever told me to cover them and I know other teachers with small tattoos that show, but I prefer to keep them hidden. All of my colleagues have seen them and most of my students too (it's a great reward for a student to show him your latest tattoo). I decided to cover them when I first started because I was a young teacher and I wanted to work a few years and gain credibility from the parents and staff. I guess I was nervous about some parents judging me based on my tattoos. I don't really worry about that anymore, but I still see hiding my tattoos as one way to keep my personal life and professional life separate, which is really important to me.

but at what cost?

[Jaycel Adkins]

Stick Your Neck Out: The Visible Tattoo as Recession Status Symbol - Health - GOOD

Just saw this via Needles & Sins blog.

[asradin]

Thanks for sharing that Jaycel. Was an interesting read, although I think the guy who works in Acedemia is very lucky. I also work in Academia and haven't been sheltered from some of the things he has with regards to tattoos. Most of the lecturers I work with know I have my upper arms tattooed but not my entire front torso. I've been asked about them (even whilst I was having an exam for my Masters) and I guess I've always felt I've had to prove myself because of them which is stupid I know. I also agree with Kev, I like having a lot of tattoos that only I get to see on a regular basis. I don't think the stigma of tattoos will ever be completely overcome in the work place, but it makes me a lot happier knowing that some of you on here have positive experiences with visible tattoos at work :)

[areilla]

I'm a secretary and I work at a university in an academic department. I have two small and discrete tattoos that are easily hidden under anything but a string bikini, and there's not much chance of my being caught dead in one since I stopped hitting the gym. I got them for myself, so I don't go out of my way to show them off to anyone. My "tramp stamp" shows if I'm bending over to pick something up but that's about it. My teenage daughter thinks its terrible that I have one at all, but hey! Mommy gets to have a life too. For the most part, I'm discrete about my tattoos and (when I was wearing jewelry) my belly button piercing. I'm getting a little old to have a belly button ring anyway. But I actually like the idea that most people would think I'm the LAST person to have any kind of body modification. When they find out that I have one they're usually really surprised. You can see that they look at you a little differently. I like that. Don't I get tired of trying to shock people, my husband asks. No, not really. I'm here to remind everyone that every single person you meet has a story, and it's usually not the one you expected they'd have.

Funny story: I went to the grocery store and was in the pharmacy department. I stooped down look for something on the bottom shelf, threw my selection in my basket and went on my way. A few aisles later, an older gentleman, probably in his 70's, stopped me. He was very polite but he said he had to tell me that he saw me back in the pharmacy. He was getting his blood pressure measured at the machine and when he saw me stoop down and saw my tattoo...well dammit if it didn't cause his blood pressure to jump up! I blushed 10 shades of red. It was really cute.

[David Flores]

The place I show off I my tattoos the most is at work. Granted one of my jobs is a tattoo shop but my other job I do because I work in a warehouse its hot and they all know I have tattoos. Luckily I have worked there for awhile and I have already had all the 'I'm going to get a tattoo of this and that and the other and it means to me because of this bull shit" which translates to "I really am never going to get this tattoo but I want to talk about it so people think I am cool" with everyone. It bugs me sometimes, but I always try to give people the best advice about tattooing, not matter how bad their idea is or whether they are smart enough to listen to me. There are a couple guys I work with who have become regulars at the shop, so some people get it.

But on my day off, unless it is 90 degrees like today I will probably be in a long sleeve shirt, Levis and Boots.

[Henrik]

I work in an office where the environment is very casual. I was a bit nervous about displaying them at first, cause you never know if people will look at you in another way because of the tattoos, but I find that no one really cares about it. A couple of guys have asked how long I've had them, where I got them etc. but others just know that I got them without saying anything about it. It feels really good to be in a working environment where I can display my tattoos without having to worry about negative reactions or consequences, but at the same time I can wear a long sleeve shirt and no one will know I have them.

[Ursula]

Thought I'd chime in with my workplace experiences. Those of you who have met me or seen my photos know I have a lot of tattoos on my arms and legs, I don't have anything on my neck, face, or hands. I do have one on my chest that shows at work, my back piece shows with a tank top and I have some on the sides of my fingers that usually go unnoticed. I currently live in a very small town where I am the only heavily tattooed person around, there's a very small handful in the surrounding area who come through once in a while. Right now I run a gift store with my mother. I deal with mostly women aged 50+ in my day to day job. What I have found is that the more well dressed I am, the less shit I get for my tattoos. When I am dressed 'nicely' (button up shirt, or more of a dressy casual top and nice jeans or slacks usually) almost no one even comments. Sometimes I'll get 'are those tattoos real' 'did it hurt' or the other common non-rude questions and comments from people who are just curious because they've never seen someone, especially a woman who has so many. I have found that even with a tank top, if I look nice with my hair and makeup and nice shoes I usually don't have any problems. When I am not at work and dressed in a t shirt and motorcycle boots, or when I'm wearing more of a going out type of outfit (I have been described as having more of a 'rocker' look), that's when I get the shitty looks, rude/stupid comments, old ladies clutching purses, etc.

So basically I think it's all about how you present yourself at work. I think it also has a lot to do with your attitude. When someone comes into my store and sees me and maybe doesn't like my tattoos or clothes it becomes really hard for them to be shitty towards me when I'm being overly nice and helpful to them. I think I've even helped change a couple people's mind about tattooed women this way. I know even my own mother thought all heavily tattooed people were trashy before I started getting a lot of tattoos.

[nicky papers]

So basically I think it's all about how you present yourself at work. I think it also has a lot to do with your attitude.

well put.

[Scott R]

nice point Sirsula

[nicky papers]

I've been pretty lucky when it comes to having visible tattoos in the workplace. I work in the restaurant industry, having visible tattoos has almost helped me get a lot of the jobs I've had. Maybe I get type casted a little, but it pays the bills.

[Ursula]

It's awesome when you see that extra shitty offended look on someone's face melt away and turn into a kind of embarrassed and surprised look.