Tattoos and the workplace

[Ursula]

Maybe I get type casted a little, but it pays the bills.

I have totally gotten jobs because of being tattooed and 'looking cool' and I don't mind at all. If having tattoos puts me that extra step ahead of the competition then that's awesome and way better than being put behind everyone else because of it.

My best friend works in an art store and had to cover all her tattoos at work and I think it's kind of weird. Seems like the type of job that would normally like tattoos.

[kylegrey]

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.

Ursula I bet you are familiar with the clothes shop Wheels and Dolls Baby .

[Ursula]

I have not seen that store before, the do have some nice things online. Very confusing sizing chart though.

[RockelMan]

I remember long ago, I went to this job interview. After I was done I went for my first tattoo. I was called back by the employer to tell me I was going to be starting on monday and to come in to get my uniform. When they saw the tattoo I was told that I would have to wear a long sleeve t-shirt under my work shirt to cover it up. I did not care as it was written in their policies and the job helped pay the bills at that time. Another job I had was at a skateboarding store. They did not care about the employees having tattoos as most of the employees and management had tattoos. Now that I am past all these part time jobs and I am full on in my career, depending who I am working for at the time could be the difference of acceptance or not (I am in a construction trade). Usually at work, due to the manner of my job I could be burnt easily or be out in the sun all day, so I always wear a long sleeve work shirt to protect my tattoos that I spent my hard earned money on. If people ask about them I tell them, but for the most part it shocks a lot of people when they find out I have quite a few.

[Gregor]

I just started at a new job in an office, i wasnt intending to show any of my tattoos off , but the shirt i was wearing was slightly see through and someone saw the dark outline of my tattoo . it brought up the whole tattoo conversation and now it turns out that everyone in my team including my bosses succumbed to the tribal trend and they all seem to have a crappy bit of tribal somewhere . now i'm quite happy to expose my tattoo (lots of girls in the office have those celebrity type hand tattoos and nothing else lol) but i have to keep my tattoo snobbery in check and not tell anyone what i think about their tribal or old english name tattoos !

I fuckin hate the mauling i got when ppl saw my tattoo(do they go up and touch other strangers ?) and all the how much? , how long? and how painful? questions ....

[aphemia]

I found this thread because I'm kind of struggling with this right now. An employee just got a wrist tattoo that is driving me nuts, because we've had conversations about displaying them at work in the past and I feel like it's a slap in the face. In my personal life I appreciate alternative lifestyles and most of my friends are heavily tatted. I got a corporate office job at the age of 16 and worked my a$$ off to become the Controller 11 years later. I've had all different colors in my hair, I used to have my septum pierced and have a tattoo of my own on my back - however -- at work I dress conservatively and I'm totally ok with that because *I* know who I am. I don't come to work to 'express myself' - I come to get a job done for the company paying my salary and don't need the extra judgement or distractions from my performance. The piercing never showed, I keep my hair darkish brown/black, and my tattoo doesn't show unless I wear a particular type of shirt. Here is my issue... I actually like tattoos, but everyone's perception of what is 'acceptable' in the workplace will be different. It's easiest for companies to have a no-tatt policy. If you let one person go around with a visible tattoo on their arms, but tell another to cover theirs on their breasts (which they purposely have hanging out just to display that tattoo) it creates a negative situation. If you let one person show off their country's flag, but not a confederate flag-- that creates drama. If you let someone show off a picture of their Mom but not of a risqué pinup, it creates drama. It shouldn't be the responsibility of your boss to HAVE to tell you to cover it when it's deemed unacceptable. We, as bosses, shouldn't have to go around "inspecting" everyone. There will always be one bad apple to ruin it for everyone, I can guarantee that. (The boob situation mentioned is a true story, of a person sitting up front behind glass doors greeting everyone. Sorry- not acceptable in a corporate office.) Obviously, I have nothing against the tattoos themselves, but I am against displaying them in the workplace for reasons such as that.

A lot of people on this thread feel that it's due to judgement from their peers or bosses -- but I have to disagree. The picture is much larger than that. The owners here and myself couldn't care less, but we have hundreds of International (and very conservative) customers who come into our office all the time and if THEY don't like what they see, or feel that it's an unprofessional environment, we could potentially lose that business to a competitor. Some may not care, others might! But is it worth the risk? You may be the most awesome person in the world, but it must be exhausting trying to prove that all the time. Unfortunately, we don't always get the chance to divulge our souls to each person we meet. Why make it harder on yourself? Frankly, I got more pleasure out of being the person I am -inside- and making it to where I have in the corporate world. Way more gratifying than showing a tattoo. Plus, there are a billion OTHER places to get ink that won't be hanging out all the time -so no one is saying you can't have the tattoo - just think it over first. You just have to decide if it's worth the risk. Like it or not, if you find your dream job and they DONT allow tattoos -- then what?

I would also say it depends what you want to do as a career--but generally the corporate world is not the place.

I don't think this will be the popular opinion on a tattoo blog, but hopefully you'll understand my pov.

:)

[Kev]

Unless the employee you bring up signed paperwork in their new hire docs that's specifically state that there is a no visible tattoo policy, than you have no recourse. You might want to consider speaking to your HR about creating an addendum. But I believe if your company felt as strongly about tattoos and "self-expression" in the workplace as you do, they would've covered that in the paperwork.

[Ursula]

Like Kev said if there is a policy about tattoos then you or whoever is the boss has every right to bring it up with the offender. If when hired there was no mention in paper or in person that tattoos are not allowed then you can only ask that they cover up and if they do they do and if they don't well they don't. If it's that big of a deal a company can put a new policy in place stating that tattoos and piercing must not be visible at work and then give it a couple days to get around. As far as women who let their tits hang out 'just so you can see the tattoo', well that is what we in America call a slut or a whore and they likely would have their tits hanging out even if they didn't have a tattoo. In fact I believe some get tattoos there just to have an excuse to wear a slutty top. If one person is not allowed to show their tattoos at work, then no one in the company should be.

[gougetheeyes]

An employee just got a wrist tattoo that is driving me nuts, because we've had conversations about displaying them at work in the past and I feel like it's a slap in the face. In my personal life I appreciate alternative lifestyles and most of my friends are heavily tatted. I got a corporate office job at the age of 16 and worked my a$$ off to become the Controller 11 years later. I've had all different colors in my hair, I used to have my septum pierced and have a tattoo of my own on my back - however -- at work I dress conservatively and I'm totally ok with that because *I* know who I am. I don't come to work to 'express myself' - I come to get a job done for the company paying my salary and don't need the extra judgement or distractions from my performance. The piercing never showed, I keep my hair darkish brown/black, and my tattoo doesn't show unless I wear a particular type of shirt. Here is my issue... I actually like tattoos, but everyone's perception of what is 'acceptable' in the workplace will be different. It's easiest for companies to have a no-tatt policy. If you let one person go around with a visible tattoo on their arms, but tell another to cover theirs on their breasts (which they purposely have hanging out just to display that tattoo) it creates a negative situation. If you let one person show off their country's flag, but not a confederate flag-- that creates drama. If you let someone show off a picture of their Mom but not of a risqué pinup, it creates drama. It shouldn't be the responsibility of your boss to HAVE to tell you to cover it when it's deemed unacceptable. We, as bosses, shouldn't have to go around "inspecting" everyone. There will always be one bad apple to ruin it for everyone, I can guarantee that. (The boob situation mentioned is a true story, of a person sitting up front behind glass doors greeting everyone. Sorry- not acceptable in a corporate office.) Obviously, I have nothing against the tattoos themselves, but I am against displaying them in the workplace for reasons such as that.

A lot of people on this thread feel that it's due to judgement from their peers or bosses -- but I have to disagree. The picture is much larger than that. The owners here and myself couldn't care less, but we have hundreds of International (and very conservative) customers who come into our office all the time and if THEY don't like what they see, or feel that it's an unprofessional environment, we could potentially lose that business to a competitor. Some may not care, others might! But is it worth the risk? You may be the most awesome person in the world, but it must be exhausting trying to prove that all the time. Unfortunately, we don't always get the chance to divulge our souls to each person we meet. Why make it harder on yourself? Frankly, I got more pleasure out of being the person I am -inside- and making it to where I have in the corporate world. Way more gratifying than showing a tattoo. Plus, there are a billion OTHER places to get ink that won't be hanging out all the time -so no one is saying you can't have the tattoo - just think it over first. You just have to decide if it's worth the risk. Like it or not, if you find your dream job and they DONT allow tattoos -- then what?

I would also say it depends what you want to do as a career--but generally the corporate world is not the place.

I don't think this will be the popular opinion on a tattoo blog, but hopefully you'll understand my pov.

:)

Sounds like the biggest issue you're having is that other people at your office can get away with having tattoos and you can't. Or you feel you can't because you sacrificed a nose ring and hair color to get where you are today. Which is great that you've made it to a respectable position, but why go after others?

Without getting into it too much, I agree that there is a time and place for everything. And that a large, corporate company isn't the place to go "showing off" tattoos, and most likely, these are younger folks who feel the need to assert their own unique individuality and feelings, etc. But looking at it from the perspective of someone who has to wear long sleeves/pants to cover all of my own, when I wear a short sleeve shirt, I am not "showing off." I am trying to not sweat my balls off, Gold Bond or no, on a 100 degree day. If a woman with tattoos wears a dress that happens to show them off, I probably wouldn't think, "What a slut, flaunting her tits and tattoos..." (Well, depends on the lady..)

Anyway, most people in this world are stuck in offices for one reason or another, and I do think it's appropriate to dress accordingly. But it sounds like you're the one with the issue here. If the female with the chest tattoo was a problem, they wouldn't have hired her. Maybe you don't have anything against tattoos, but it sounds like you've definitely got something against people with tattoos. If you want tattoos, too, go get 'em. I bet you could keep them covered nearly all of the time if you wanted.

[Raskolnikov]

A lot of people on this thread feel that it's due to judgement from their peers or bosses -- but I have to disagree. The picture is much larger than that. The owners here and myself couldn't care less, but we have hundreds of International (and very conservative) customers who come into our office all the time and if THEY don't like what they see, or feel that it's an unprofessional environment, we could potentially lose that business to a competitor.

That's true, but please bear in mind that this kind of pandering to other corporate cultures is one of the reasons that women, ethnic minorities and people with regional accents deemed to be working-class have also found it hard or impossible to be employed in the past. The courier/sales company that my brother works for have a strong presence in the middle-east and it has taken decades for women to attain managerial sales positions based on the perception of their abilities by certain middle eastern clients. I know tattoos are different, in that they represent a choice by the individual, but I think the parallels are there.

I am interested in those on tis thread who work in education and universities specifically. I have worked for roughly eight UK universities over the last 13 years and I have always found it to be quite a heavily tattooed sector to work in. I think that it is quite accepted, unless I just haven't noticed prejudice. There are many conservative, corporate people who work in H.E. that would probably judge tattoos, but given that we work in a sector that provides a service to a demograph of society that is generally pro-tattoo, it would be odd to be too negative about it. It appears to me that almost half of University students have tattoos (the ones that are visible) and many of my colleagues have them too. I can't imagine being judged for my tattoos. I would be genuinely shocked.

[Kenny Wilson]

Its a personal choice. I choose not to expose my tattoos. While they could not fire me for them, I certainly feel the old guard would not appreciate them a lot and it would limit my ability to make more money. I work to make money and feed my family, not to express myself. I wish I had a career that would allow me to express myself and be free, but that just is not my reality and I have come to piece with it. The major decision makers in corporate America these days are probably in their late 50's or 60's. Once they retire and the new guard take over, I don't think this will be as big of an issue as there has been a huge change in culture. Until then I will play it safe and keep making some loot without being judged, whether it is legit or not. Kudos to those who don't care about the judgement.

[aphemia]

Unless the employee you bring up signed paperwork in their new hire docs that's specifically state that there is a no visible tattoo policy, than you have no recourse. You might want to consider speaking to your HR about creating an addendum. But I believe if your company felt as strongly about tattoos and "self-expression" in the workplace as you do, they would've covered that in the paperwork.

I have no desire for recourse, I'm just frustrated. Also, I -am- HR and I work directly with the owners. I actually consider her a good employee and I don't plan on doing anything, but still think it was crappy to put me in this position in the case that the owners DO want it addressed when they see it. They are the ones who had me address the girl who had her entire chest hanging out at the reception desk and I had to spend two days finding legal verbage and preparing a page-long draft for her to sign. Of course, I instantly became the bad guy. It shouldn't have to come to that. Employees making these decisions that put the entire office policy in jeopardy are selfish! It sucks for the employer AND the employee to create that tension. As for adding an addendum, all that does is create a work environment that needs to be micromanaged which spoils the relaxed environment for every single other person in the office. We have a very short policy which only covers the basics and we get away with a lot here compared to most corporate environments (because we DON'T have a strict policy!) but if people keep pushing it to where we NEED addendums for everything and have to specify "Yes you can have a tattoo HERE, but not THERE" it's going to make it a crappy, micro-managed environment for everyone. No one wants that.

It's a person's individual responsibility to know their workplace and know where to draw the line. If a company simply states "business casual" as their dress code, that can be interpreted differently to every individual. Let's say someone starts wearing jeans, no big deal. Then a guy wears golf shorts one day, no problem. Then suddenly someone shows up in booty shorts because they saw 'someone else' wearing shorts. We shouldn't have to create an addendum that says "No booty shorts."

[aphemia]

Sounds like the biggest issue you're having is that other people at your office can get away with having tattoos and you can't. Or you feel you can't because you sacrificed a nose ring and hair color to get where you are today. Which is great that you've made it to a respectable position, but why go after others? [...]

Anyway, most people in this world are stuck in offices for one reason or another, and I do think it's appropriate to dress accordingly. But it sounds like you're the one with the issue here. If the female with the chest tattoo was a problem, they wouldn't have hired her. Maybe you don't have anything against tattoos, but it sounds like you've definitely got something against people with tattoos. If you want tattoos, too, go get 'em. I bet you could keep them covered nearly all of the time if you wanted.

Apparently you only partially read my post. MANY of my friends, including my very best friends, are covered in tattoos. So no, I don't dislike people with them. In fact, I consider the employee I'm writing about a friend which is why it's twice as frustrating that she got a tattoo where she did and put me in an awkward position as her boss. I have a tattoo, which does stay covered when I want it to. I am the boss of the people I've written about. I am the one who hires & fires when the owners decide it's necessary. I am not "going after" anyone - I didn't do anything to the person who just got the tattoo, but in my opinion her decision was in poor taste and she knew it. I am also the one who hired the person who decided to let her chest-tattoo hang out along with her boobs-- do you really think her chest was hanging out at her interview!?

I didn't come here to argue, just to put the POV out there. Sorry you disagree, but no need to personally attack me as someone with "issues." I don't agree with the stigma surrounding tattoos, but we can't pretend it doesn't exist. I made the personal decision to allow myself as many opportunities as possible by having the ability to conceal mine.

[Kev]

Your post raises some interesting dilemmas and I sympathize with not wanting to be a bad guy, but from a policy perspective, I think it's better to take the proactive position in regards to dress code. It's possible that no one wants to change the standing policy, but I think your setting yourself up for frustration if you think people are going to "know how behave" in a corporate setting. If these are the same 20 somethings I met when I went back to college to finish my degree, it's safer to assume that they know NOTHING about workplace policies and procedures.

Depending on how small your business is, it might be possible to hold some sort of meeting or supplementary 'training' under the guise of annual brush-up and cover those issues in a safe environment where no one feels called out. You're not the "bad guy"-you're just doing your job. If someone doesn't want to accept responsibility for their actions, that's on them, not you for following procedure. Just my .02

[Ursula]

Just to clarify before anyone gets crazy on me, the comment I made about sluts and whores is not directed at every female who wears a tank top. It's just at those who are obviously throwing that shit out there and trying to have it seen on purpose.

Also, I feel like if someone is getting tattoos just so other people will see them and think 'oh how cool and unique you must be' then you shouldn't even be getting them in the first place.

I agree 100% percent with everyone who has said 'i go to work to do a good job and make money, not to look cool and show off my tattoos'.

If someone has such a huge problem that they won't work somewhere because they can't show their tattoos, then they obviously aren't the confident individual they are claiming to be because if they were they would know that they don't need to be showing off tattoos or crazy coloured hair to let their personality or individuality show. It actually makes me really sad when people base their entire life on one thing like their tattoos.

It's like the 'punk' kids who give themselves a bright blue mohawk and then cry about how no one wants to hire them.

[Ursula]

I have no desire for recourse,They are the ones who had me address the girl who had her entire chest hanging out at the reception desk and I had to spend two days finding legal verbage and preparing a page-long draft for her to sign.

It sounds to be like they were more concerned about having the person greeting people looking like a whore at work. Which I also think in any job other than being an actual whore is unacceptable. If they didn't go after other people with tattoos, I doubt they would just single her out for it.

Then suddenly someone shows up in booty shorts because they saw 'someone else' wearing shorts. We shouldn't have to create an addendum that says "No booty shorts."

Unfortunately there are many women who are not smart enough to realize that you actually don't have to use your body to get ahead in life. There are many people who don't even begin to understand how wearing something like booty shorts can be perceived by the public. So sadly yes, in this day and age there does seem to be a need for rules like that if you feel it's important.

[SF Dave]

i'm an accountant and everyday i wear long sleeve button-up shirts to work to keep my arms covered. i am not sure if there is a tattoo policy here but i dont need to know. i'm not interested in showing my tattoos at work anyway, i'm totally ok with keeping them covered without needing to be asked. if i wanted to "be noticed" or "express" myself in the office, i'll just do that by trying to do a great job at work.

[aphemia]

i'm an accountant and everyday i wear long sleeve button-up shirts to work to keep my arms covered. i am not sure if there is a tattoo policy here but i dont need to know. i'm not interested in showing my tattoos at work anyway, i'm totally ok with keeping them covered without needing to be asked. if i wanted to "be noticed" or "express" myself in the office, i'll just do that by trying to do a great job at work.

Thank you. You are my dream employee, all hard work & no bs. Let me know if you ever need work in Houston. ;)

[Raskolnikov]

if i wanted to "be noticed" or "express" myself in the office, i'll just do that by trying to do a great job at work.

Yep. The sad irony is that the world, and the business world in particular, are populated by people who don't judge others purely by their ability to do their job well, and instead focus on how they look as a barometer of ability and skill.

[TrixieFaux]

I teach kindergarten and I have 5 tattoos so far, 2 of them are new as of this summer. There are a couple of other teachers at my school with tattoos that show and a high percentage of the parents in that community have tattoos as well (inner city Los Angeles). When I go back to work in a couple weeks my little owl on my forearm will show more often than any of the others. I highly doubt it will be offensive to anyone and we don't have a dress code rule about it. If I were teaching in small town USA things might be different but tattoos are a part of the culture here in LA. I think in general the times are changing--not just in regards to tattoos but everything seems to be heading in a more casual direction and I'm happy with that. Aside from being able to show tattoos, I'm glad I can wear jeans to work (nice ones) because I sit on the floor with my kids half the day and do messy art projects with them and skirts or dry-clean only type pants don't make sense with what I do. I am not going to showcase my tattoos at work but I am not going to hide them purposely either (none of them are scary though, if I get a skull for example, I would get it in a hidden place). Last year sometimes the cat on my back would show and the kids always liked it. I like how kids are open minded like that. I work hard, I love kids, I am a good teacher, and I have tattoos... I think people can deal with that.

[Jaycel Adkins]

An employee just got a wrist tattoo that is driving me nuts, because we've had conversations about displaying them at work in the past and I feel like it's a slap in the face.

aphemia: But I got to ask the most important question.....Was the tattoo cool?

[David Flores]

Funny I got an email today from regional VP regarding dress code. My job has never really had a dress code because I work in the middle of the night in the warehouse, but I used to work with the public and up till about 4 years ago there was a clear defined dress code for both men and women that prohibited visible tattoos and piercings other than stud earrings. For whatever reason they took all that verbage out of the employee agreement and now you just have to show up to work dressed "professionally". It really has been a struggle for a lot of managers determining what that means and trying to justify it based upon corporate culture and what other branches allow. Fortunately the email was directed more about girls wearing revealing clothing and being able to see butt crack(he didn't use that term) when they bend over and during day shifts not mine. They did mention that since my crew is more relaxed with dress I need to revisit what is appropriate for our shift. I deleted the email. If he wants a policy then put it in the handbook. Up till a few years ago the guy wore a mullet and tucked his jeans into his boots.

Funny story though about a year ago he popped in from out of town in the middle of the night and was watching me work for awhile. My boss said he asked him when I got all those tattoos. He replied he always had them but he just keeps getting more. So I basically hid them for 10 years.

[jayessebee]

I just want to say god bless sluts in tank tops

[slayer9019]

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.

Coming from someone who interacts with a lot of company's IT workers I will have to help you out a bit on this one. Most IT jobs that PAY will care about tattoos to some degree. Net/sys admins (i was previously) are getting crap pay recently unless you work on something very specialized (more specifically Vendor specific. Not Cisco, or other dime a dozen but companies like NetApp, EMC, IBM power series, etc). Some DB guys get good pay and have relaxed dress codes but not as much as in the past. As for the remote deal, not so much anymore. Most jobs that can be done remotely are overseas now. Think about it if you don't need a warm body why not pay less overseas? Just giving you a heads up to watch what you're getting yourself into. This is from my experience as a software consultant traveling to all different types of NOCs/Data Centers/Offices. Surprisingly the most tattoos I ever saw on IT people were at government locations...weird..

Yep. The sad irony is that the world, and the business world in particular, are populated by people who don't judge others purely by their ability to do their job well, and instead focus on how they look as a barometer of ability and skill.

I understand this very well. In the world of "business" you not only have to be damned good at what you do but you have to dress the part as well. Just as people brought up in the other thread that tattooers with no tattoos gives them a weird feel about their abilities before they see their work, the same can be said in reverse for the business world.

[s33ktruth]

Coming from someone who interacts with a lot of company's IT workers I will have to help you out a bit on this one. Most IT jobs that PAY will care about tattoos to some degree. Net/sys admins (i was previously) are getting crap pay recently unless you work on something very specialized (more specifically Vendor specific. Not Cisco, or other dime a dozen but companies like NetApp, EMC, IBM power series, etc). Some DB guys get good pay and have relaxed dress codes but not as much as in the past. As for the remote deal, not so much anymore. Most jobs that can be done remotely are overseas now. Think about it if you don't need a warm body why not pay less overseas? Just giving you a heads up to watch what you're getting yourself into. This is from my experience as a software consultant traveling to all different types of NOCs/Data Centers/Offices. Surprisingly the most tattoos I ever saw on IT people were at government locations...weird..

I understand this very well. In the world of "business" you not only have to be damned good at what you do but you have to dress the part as well. Just as people brought up in the other thread that tattooers with no tattoos gives them a weird feel about their abilities before they see their work, the same can be said in reverse for the business world.

Uhh...one my teacher works for Cisco, I'm sure all the experiences and stories about his company are all just a bunch of lies I guess. As far as things going overseas, I already know most of the jobs going overseas are in the IT field that are entry level like video graphics testing, call centers, tech support, etc. I'm specializing in security, have you heard of that? I have MANY friends who are software devs, network engineers, and have done more than just "interact with IT companies". If the job requires a dresscode no biggie, I can cover up and look like I have NONE. I know a lot more than you think man, just because you are older and use to be a admin for some company doesn't mean I'm in the same boat. Thanks bro.