Tattoos and the workplace

[marley mission]

A friend at work caught me in the hall and wanted me to show another lady the world map with population on my shoulder. She was quite disappointed that I had on a long-sleeved microfiber shirt under my button-down company shirt and asked why I was hiding my forearm tattoo. I explained that I was not satisfied with the forearm, and didn't want to wear it uncovered until the artist gets a chance to fix it (sure hope he can/will - booked for Feb 17). No problems with me having them! Just disappointed they have to wait to see them. One lady is quite conservative, too. The company is a huge multi-national, and I saw a Facebook status this morning that one of my awesome German colleagues is anticipating a new tattoo this evening (a dragon, I think).

jonesy whats up with the faked line tatt - looked cool to me

[pidjones]

jonesy whats up with the faked line tatt - looked cool to me

From a distance it looks fairly good, but up close there are so many wanky problems that I don't know if he can fix them all. The shadow is very bad (some places look like they are smeared), the ends of the line don't look like any line I've ever seen (and I gave him photo reference) I'd just as soon he fade the one end in the distance to black and fix the foreground one to look like a proper whipped line end. The lines change thickness and twist throughout the tattoo much more than I'd like (I don't see any correction for that), and there is an orphan line section in part of it that doesn't connect to anything else. Overall design I like - execution could be much better. I suspect only about 50% of the problems can be corrected, but that would make it so I felt comfortable showing it and not considering zapping it to permit true correction. I have to give the guy a chance to correct. That is only fair. I'll wait to see how he does. I've seen other work he has done and it is very well executed. Might have had a bad day. We all get them. Is it just because I can see this on my forearm and it will be visible in short sleeves? Partly. But also I want it to be much better than it is. No, I won't blast over with a bad-assed black panther. The faked line holds personal value, and I'm not really a collector - just someone who wants some specific tattoos. I love the American Traditional, Japanese, Artsy, really all tattoos (well, not the dark and celebrating death type)- but they aren't all for me.

[xcom]

From a distance it looks fairly good, but up close there are so many wanky problems that I don't know if he can fix them all. The shadow is very bad (some places look like they are smeared), the ends of the line don't look like any line I've ever seen (and I gave him photo reference) I'd just as soon he fade the one end in the distance to black and fix the foreground one to look like a proper whipped line end. The lines change thickness and twist throughout the tattoo much more than I'd like (I don't see any correction for that), and there is an orphan line section in part of it that doesn't connect to anything else. Overall design I like - execution could be much better. I suspect only about 50% of the problems can be corrected, but that would make it so I felt comfortable showing it and not considering zapping it to permit true correction. I have to give the guy a chance to correct. That is only fair. I'll wait to see how he does. I've seen other work he has done and it is very well executed. Might have had a bad day. We all get them. Is it just because I can see this on my forearm and it will be visible in short sleeves? Partly. But also I want it to be much better than it is. No, I won't blast over with a bad-assed black panther. The faked line holds personal value, and I'm not really a collector - just someone who wants some specific tattoos. I love the American Traditional, Japanese, Artsy, really all tattoos (well, not the dark and celebrating death type)- but they aren't all for me.

To me looks good but at the end I know how you feel. I hope that it all comes out to your satisfaction... Getting it zapped sucks big time...

Good luck.

[marley mission]

From a distance it looks fairly good, but up close there are so many wanky problems that I don't know if he can fix them all. The shadow is very bad (some places look like they are smeared), the ends of the line don't look like any line I've ever seen (and I gave him photo reference) I'd just as soon he fade the one end in the distance to black and fix the foreground one to look like a proper whipped line end. The lines change thickness and twist throughout the tattoo much more than I'd like (I don't see any correction for that), and there is an orphan line section in part of it that doesn't connect to anything else. Overall design I like - execution could be much better. I suspect only about 50% of the problems can be corrected, but that would make it so I felt comfortable showing it and not considering zapping it to permit true correction. I have to give the guy a chance to correct. That is only fair. I'll wait to see how he does. I've seen other work he has done and it is very well executed. Might have had a bad day. We all get them. Is it just because I can see this on my forearm and it will be visible in short sleeves? Partly. But also I want it to be much better than it is. No, I won't blast over with a bad-assed black panther. The faked line holds personal value, and I'm not really a collector - just someone who wants some specific tattoos. I love the American Traditional, Japanese, Artsy, really all tattoos (well, not the dark and celebrating death type)- but they aren't all for me.

jonesy sorry you are bummed man - now myself i like it - but i understand that this tatt has alot of meaning in which the details play an important part

that said - it sounds like your artist wasnt paying enough attention to the details in design AND execution - I wouldnt mess with it personally (the idea has been captured - rock that badass faked line tatt) but if you must - I wouldnt go back to that artist - you dont owe him anything

just my 2cents - good luck

[purplelace]

I work in admin, and although dress code is slack. Can wear jeans and hoodie to work they do have a no visible tattoo policy. Which is fair enough, a lot of places do. Everyone at work knows I'm tattooed. Love it when still get reactions of "I had no idea you were so heavily tattooed" and similar. When it comes to getting arms worked on again, I will stop at an inch, maybe half an inch shy of half sleeve, as would like to be able to wear short sleeves, if I want too. Always makes me smile, because the managers think it's a stupid policy esp when am not front of house. But hey at least can dress casual not like some places.

[Colored Guy]

Reading something someone wrote here, that it will never be unprofessional to wear a long sleeve shirt at work, emboldened me to go down to where I wear my watch. In hindsight I wish I'd been convinced earlier since it would have let me get bigger forearm pieces.

That's where my cut off point is, although I rarely wear a watch. I have to be careful of my sleeves pulling up and don't wear shirts that are too light and can be seen through.

[LadySparrow]

I was working in translation agency when I got my first tattoo, tribal phoenix about 30 cm long on my upper back. I was the person who had to open the door for the customers and visitors and my quite old and conservative boss had no problem with my tattoo to be visible. I could even wear tank tops. My colleague had piercings and huge earrings, she had her back tattooed too and dyed her hair pink, blue etc. It was really cool job.

In the current job I do mainly back office work but sometimes I have to go to the front shop to deal with customers. I tend to cover my forearm tattoo because I don't like strangers asking and pointing at it. Part of our customers is quite conservative and rigid and I don't want to cause a stir. But sometimes I forget :)

We are really small collective. All my coworkers know I have tattoos, my boss has no problem with them. He even put cream on my back when I had my back covered up recently.

[Rustyrider]

I've been asked to cover mine when clients were around,. But at my current job...they don't care. I love it

[Colored Guy]

MY job may not care, I just think it is unprofessional of me to have them displayed especially when I meet customers and represent the company.

One of the big managers bought the house across the street from me and moved in. Nice guy around age 30.. on the fast track and I don't work for him. He saw my art for the first time last week when we talked while putting garbage out and did not bat an eye.

[Valpolicella]

I own my own business (a restaurant) and I allow my employees to show their tattoos and piercings. Firstly, I think it adds to the vibe of the place, and secondly, I've got them myself.

My whole working life I've worked in countless shitty operations who force their employees to become personality-less drones in the name of "professionalism". I always swore that customers actually don't give a shit about their server's body art as long as their food and service are great- and guess what? I'm right. No one has ever said a thing about them.

[The Tig]

I own my own business (a restaurant) and I allow my employees to show their tattoos and piercings. Firstly, I think it adds to the vibe of the place, and secondly, I've got them myself.

My whole working life I've worked in countless shitty operations who force their employees to become personality-less drones in the name of "professionalism". I always swore that customers actually don't give a shit about their server's body art as long as their food and service are great- and guess what? I'm right. No one has ever said a thing about them.

That's cool. :cool:

Just don't make them wear 14 or more pieces of "flair".

[Valpolicella]

Bahaha! It's sad how much I can relate to that movie.

[cattoolady]

Such an interesting thread. Doesn't seem like generalizations can be made about type of employment, size of employer, or anything else, with regards to how an individual's tattoos are treated in the workplace.

I'm a lawyer at a small plaintiff's law firm. For the first several years I practiced, I made certain my tattoos were covered. Over time, as I've "earned" my reputation for being damn good at what I do, I've loosened up about my tattoos showing. I also have more visible or potentially visible tattoos than when I started.

My boss, who is male, and who leans to the extreme conservative, is not a fan of tattoos at all. If asked, he will generally comment that he has no idea why an otherwise attractive woman would tattoo her arms all up, but concedes a small rose on the ankle is sexy. :rolleyes:

To his credit, though, after I got my half sleeve done, he did acknowledge that it was pretty "neat." For female professionals especially, I think it largely comes down to having "earned it."

I'm fortunate in that I work in a practice area and with a client base, where my tattoos can, in some instances, be an asset. In fact, my boss has had me join him in a meeting or two with a new potential client specifically to point out that I'm tattooed. A bit annoying and offensive, of course, but if it helps establish a rapport with a potential client - sure.

That said, my tattoos, other than my small one on my wrist, are never visible in court. Usually they're not visible when meeting with a client or with opposing counsel. The reality is that female lawyers are absolutely judged on their appearance, and looking polished helps my clients in court, and it helps me in securing new clients.

Other than a couple small ankle tattoos, and a boob tattoo, I'm the only one in the office with any large amount of tattoo work. I don't care if my colleagues' tattoos are visible when it's quiet in the office, but I don't want to see that boob tattoo when there's a client in the office. Same thing goes for hiring. We hired two new young female attorneys in the last two years, and during the interview process, a young woman, who was otherwise very qualified came in for a second interview. Her dress was far too low cut and showed too much cleavage, and I could see her large tattoo on her boob - and it annoyed me. I thought it actually showed somewhat poor judgment. Why would you show your cleavage and a boob tattoo during a second interview at a law firm??

[pidjones]

Interviews go both ways. Maybe she was testing your worth as an employer.

[lape]

I currently work for a huge sportswear company in Vancouver, but it's kinda a happy "be yourself" deal so you can wear what you want and have all the tattoos you want. I think I've only gotten positive comments on my tattoos, even the shitty stick and pokes I've done myself.. Being in a creative field I think it's pretty normal with tattoos, so I don't ever expect them to be a problem.

Back in Norway I do have a contract with the Army, but tattoos aren't a problem as long as they aren't "offensive".

[cattoolady]

Interviews go both ways. Maybe she was testing your worth as an employer.

It's possible, I suppose! We made it clear to our interviewees that we wanted them to make sure our practice area and firm culture would be a good fit for them. However, she did share that she had had 20 interviews, and ours was only the second call-back interview she had had. At the time we were interviewing, the job market for brand-new baby lawyers was dismal. We had over 100 applicants, and interviewed 20 people. The field of candidates was outstanding, so she was up against tough competition. I suppose there are some brand-new baby lawyers with zero experience out there that don't have in excess of $100K in student loans to pay off and that are independently wealthy, and that can afford to test the waters during an interview, but I would assume those people are very few and far between.

While I know there are lawyers with tattoos, and even some that might be considered "heavily" tattooed, in my practice field, I've never seen another lawyer's visible tattoos, and am only aware of one other lawyer that does defense, that has two full sleeves. Us lawyers are a judgmental, uptight bunch when it comes to our own kind. ;)

[tattedteacher]

I am a high school history teacher and I have never had any issues with my tattoos. The only visible one I have is star wars related and I find it breaks the ice more often than not.

[pidjones]

The field of candidates was outstanding, so she was up against tough competition.

Wow. I guess that is an indicator of the times we are in. We search for months and months to fill positions as service engineers on our machines. No degree actually required, but good abilities in mechanical and electrical engineering and maintenance are musts. Not the pay of lawyers, but not the stress or preparation either. We get some real loosers that managers hire and I have to try to train them to not destroy the machines. I wish we had about six good candidates per year. We don't care if you have ink or not. One of our main tech support guys has some great art. We are not seen by the public, however. We tend to make things radioactive.

[Patrickkinder]

I'm a pastor and tattoos have become perfectly fine in of our field, depending on the denomination. Sometimes depends on the specific church leadership preferences as well.

[Michaelshane]

I'm a pastor and tattoos have become perfectly fine in of our field, depending on the denomination. Sometimes depends on the specific church leadership preferences as well.

Pastor in what kind of church?

[Patrickkinder]

Pastor in what kind of church?

An independent Non-Denominational Christian Church.

[Michaelshane]

An independent Non-Denominational Christian Church.

Thanks,I'm a Baptist Deacon.I teach adult Bible study.

My Pastor doesn't know I have tattoos.I don't know if he would approve or not.Not that that would matter to me.

[Patrickkinder]

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks,I'm a Baptist Deacon.I teach adult Bible study.

My Pastor doesn't know I have tattoos.I don't know if he would approve or not.Not that that would matter to me.

That's awesome man. Hopefully your pastor would appreciate awesome ink when he sees it!

[jikkyo]

Not that big of a deal at my place of work (government). As long as it's not on the neck, face and hands, then it's all good. Oh and as long as it's not offensive

[tastatt]

I work at a University in Australia in an fairly formal office environment. The kind of place you would think you would have issues having visible tattoos. All my colleagues know about my tattoos but they are pretty much hidden all the time. I'm starting a sleeve in April and my boss is totally cool with me wearing short sleeve shirts. She even said "i cant wait to see it"

I guess i'm one of the lucky ones.