Tattoos and the workplace

[TrixieFaux]

Why don't you just wear different color shirts other than white? Doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

And I guess only white guys have to worry about that anyways. I'm black and you can't see my tattoos through my shirt. You can barely see them in a dimly lit room if you're not fairly close lol.

see, there's the up-side!

[youthcrewalex]

my last job was in a kitchen, they didn't care when i had my hands done and they didn't care when i had my head done as long as i worked hard and kept my head down.

that was in a vegetarian restaurant tho haha!

[JTJTJT]

Why don't you just wear different color shirts other than white? Doesn't seem like a big deal to me.

And I guess only white guys have to worry about that anyways. I'm black and you can't see my tattoos through my white shirt (I wear one at work as part of my uniform). You can barely see them in a dimly lit room if you're not fairly close lol.

Yea Probably not as big a deal as I think but still ... :p

P.s I am black

[ironchef]

NY Times just did an article about tattoos in the workplace. I posted in the media section here:

http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-tv-shows-documentaries-media/3997-ny-times-article-tattoos-workplace.html#post64207

[Eskimette]

I am much more fortunate than most I have to say..

I recently left my position at a publishing company to take on my tattoo apprenticeship full time..

During my time with the publishing company, they valued my degree more than the markings on my skin.

I got questions, requests to show them when they saw a big of a tat peaking out of clothing, and I obliged..

When I left to do my apprenticeship they fully supported me and a couple even came in for tattoos - I am a lucky lucky person though.. I was able to manage without judgement.. I kept them on lockdown with my CEO type clients and just did the suite-jacket and dress sock thing.. But as far as my employer went, they trusted my judgement with when to show them and when not to.

They also did not mind my nose ring - which I have had more of an issue with than tattoos at work.

[jitterbug]

I'm a nurse in the public sector and even though management don't approve of tattoos in the workplace they aren't allowed to discriminate. Mine aren't that visible but there's plenty of nurses at the hospital I work at with full arm sleeves. I guess it could be a barrier if I wanted a higher position but I'd rather have the tattoos and be happy than being restricted.

[Eskimette]

I'm a nurse in the public sector and even though management don't approve of tattoos in the workplace they aren't allowed to discriminate. Mine aren't that visible but there's plenty of nurses at the hospital I work at with full arm sleeves. I guess it could be a barrier if I wanted a higher position but I'd rather have the tattoos and be happy than being restricted.

I am seeing more govt jobs in my area with the policy that they are not allowed to discriminate being entered into their contracts- I approve- nice to see. As you said though, whether or not that is FULLY enforced (advancement etc) is really not a 100% thing

[tattooedgirl]

No issues for me. I work at an office. You can not see my butterfly on my lower back since it is always covered, and my wrist is easily covered with a watch or bracelet. And I usually wear capris or pants so my pawprints are covered as well.

[hallious]

Interesting thread as so many people have differing attitudes towards tattoos in the work place.

My parents' initial reaction to my wanting tattoos was to immediately tell me that you can't get a 'proper' job if you have tattoos, especially if they are on show.

Years later, I work in a top ad agency in London where they couldn't care less if you have tattoos or not and certainly don't mind if you have them on show at work!

I only just started my first tattoo, but colleagues of mine have plenty on show all the time and it's not a problem at all.

At the end of the day, tattoos are becoming more acceptable in society as a whole so attitudes in workplaces are changing with that.

Maybe it helps that I'm in a more relaxed work environment.

[fizz7283]

I've never had issues with any of my tattoos, but I've also always worked on military bases. They tend to be more relaxed regarding tattoos than normal civilian employers. I've gone to all of my interviews with short sleeve dress shirts intentionally because I don't see the point in hiding from the beginning that I have tattoos.

Some of my coworkers did that, did interviews in long sleeves and later found out that we have no policy against visible tattoos. I'd rather just let them know up front before I got the job that I had tattoos because there's no way in hell I could work in the middle of the Mojave desert all summer long in long sleeves lol so I have to either have an employer and supervisor that's willing to let me show my tattoos or I need to start looking for a new job. And luckily I have not ever had to do the latter.

[iowagirl]

I worked in a Dr's office for 8 years and we were allowed to wear capri's. I worked part time, and rarely w/the office manager, but towards the end I worked w/her more often--and then came the no capri's rule after I caught her looking at my legs many times. We were in the office, patients hardly ever saw mine-I sat behind the front desk. Rarely my arm one would poke out. But she was the one who was telling me about how surprised she was that this guy they hired to put in their wood floors did such a great job b/c he was scruffy looking and had several tattoos so she didn't want to hire him b/c she thought he might steal from them. I'm like ohh yeah, I'd be wary of some one w/tattoos too, you never know. Then she was like Oh well, I mean you know, not YOU of course...

Now I work in a preschool. I thought for sure if I was going to have a problem w/them it would be in a school. Many of the teachers in the higher grades have them..tho nobody has near what I do, they have smallish ones. Kids are so accepting, they just don't care. They like my Tigger and like to touch them now and again but it's like skin color or disabilities-when you're little, you don't care. When I got my cherry blossoms, I kept wearing my same "uniform" of Dr. Seuss shirts and they have really short sleeves, so the blossoms are visible on my arm, and they're visible on the back of my neck. The kids got a kick out of them, and one of my special needs kids uses the petals to count. Nobody said anything when I got my feet covered. One of the teachers is pretty straight laced, and I thought if anyone would say something, it would be her, but she just said they're pretty and she wished she thought she could deal w/the pain.

My husband is a police officer and there is no policy here about visible tattoos-he has one on the inside of his wrist and another on his forearm that are visible. He does know of some departments that make you wear a skin colored sleeve thing to cover them, or flat out won't hire you. That seems just ridiculous to me. Having tattoos does not in any way inhibit your ability to do your job, regardless what it is.

[SacramentoDan]

I work in the Automotive Insurance Estimate & Repair Industry,we work with all the major auto insurance co's,

none of the clients I go see I don't have to cover up for,except one,

I have to wear long sleeves and long pants for the clients of this one particular ins co,and it's kind of ironic,

because that ins co only insures current & retired military people,and 75% of them have tattoos ! go figure.

[Pleadco]

Working as an emt, our companies' policy is that tattoos can be showing as long as they aren't "excessive or offensive." I had worked with the tattoo on my right arm for 3 years with prior permission, and then we got a new supervisor whose interpretation of that ambiguous rule meant that I had to get long sleeves. Of course, as I get more work done and the ozone isn't what it used to be, I am more than happy to cover them up. Twelve hour work days with one of your arms getting blasted through the window= a kickass farmer's tan and a faded tattoo.

As far as previous discrimination goes, I've only had a couple of patients who had issues. Both of which were elderly, and I just told them my kid got crazy with a permanent marker.

With most it is just a conversation piece, which has been helpful is distracting them from whatever issue they may be having at the time. We had this quadriplegic fellow with chronic px going to a routine appointment. That guy had a lot of work done and we sat for 45 minutes bullshitting about tattoos and 80's/90's metal while waiting for the dr.

[Colored Guy]

Had to laugh the other day. I work with this one guy for years, he always wears a static-control lab coat due to the area he works in. We all have the coats, he just wears his all the time.

I was driving home the other day from work and i'm passing him on the highway, I see a tattooed arm leaning on his door, he sees me coming up on the left and pulls his arm in. Another closet tattooed freak on the payroll.

Rob

[Genie of the West]

I've never had issues with any of my tattoos, but I've also always worked on military bases. They tend to be more relaxed regarding tattoos than normal civilian employers. I've gone to all of my interviews with short sleeve dress shirts intentionally because I don't see the point in hiding from the beginning that I have tattoos.

Some of my coworkers did that, did interviews in long sleeves and later found out that we have no policy against visible tattoos. I'd rather just let them know up front before I got the job that I had tattoos because there's no way in hell I could work in the middle of the Mojave desert all summer long in long sleeves lol so I have to either have an employer and supervisor that's willing to let me show my tattoos or I need to start looking for a new job. And luckily I have not ever had to do the latter.

You work at Ft. Irwin? I would not want to be stuck in that place all year round in a shirt and tie. Yikes!

[fizz7283]

You work at Ft. Irwin? I would not want to be stuck in that place all year round in a shirt and tie. Yikes!

Yeah lol in the winter it wouldn't be bad, but in the summers I would melt. Thankfully I don't have to worry about it right now =)

[deadsp0t]

Having worked in factories for the past decade I've never had any issues. As a lead mechanic/supervisor I visited a couple major pharmaceutical plants to see their plants and how they used our products and wasn't asked to wear long sleeves(I did, if it matters).

I recently left my job at Pepsi to help run my families businesses, we have 4.. The majority of my time is spent on our painting business which is quickly approaching 30 years old. The majority of our work is high end custom residential and we work solely on a referral basis and have never advertised. I meet with homeowners and the contractors regularly, one or two have been a little apprehensive at first but once they realize I know exactly what I'm talking about that goes away..

My plans are to keep my tattoos coverable by long sleeves and long pants, IMO what goes on under those is my business, period.

I'll spend my life middle class living how I want to Vs giving up my own dreams to make others come true.

[tatB]

my employer just set up a little fitness area (2 treadmills and 2 elliptical) in the office. most of my coworkers know i have tattoos but i feel like i'm going to get a few odd reactions when people start seeing me in shorts and t-shits.

[CultExciter]

Show them legs homey!

[hogg]

my employer just set up a little fitness area (2 treadmills and 2 elliptical) in the office. most of my coworkers know i have tattoos but i feel like i'm going to get a few odd reactions when people start seeing me in shorts and t-shits.

Oh man...I had a job 5 years where only two people knew I was tattooed. It was a fairly uptight office and we were required to wear long-sleeve dress shirts and slacks. Just short of a necktie. I would work out at the gym across the street on my lunch break. One day, I was in the locker room in nothing by my underwear when one of my coworkers walked in. I will never forget the look on his face. I had just finished my backpiece, and he definitely got an eyeful.

[slayer9019]

Oh man...I had a job 5 years where only two people knew I was tattooed. It was a fairly uptight office and we were required to wear long-sleeve dress shirts and slacks. Just short of a necktie. I would work out at the gym across the street on my lunch break. One day, I was in the locker room in nothing by my underwear when one of my coworkers walked in. I will never forget the look on his face. I had just finished my backpiece, and he definitely got an eyeful.

I always wondered what would happen if people saw me outside of work.

If you don't mind me asking, did he ever bring it up?

[mtlsam]

I work as a carpenter on commercial sites. Tattoos (usually bad) are quite common and fairly accepted in non-leadership positions.

I just started with a new company this week and I'm slowly meeting my co-workers. Today a lead laborer showed up. It was chilly this morning so he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Looked like he might have a body suit because his throat was done as well as some hand and knuckle tattoos. As the day warmed up he took off his sweatshirt and low and behold Warped Tour Body Suit!!! It was pretty awesome, I tried not to laugh out loud. Highlight of the day.

[hogg]

I always wondered what would happen if people saw me outside of work.

If you don't mind me asking, did he ever bring it up?

Nah. I just turned to him and said, "So, yeah. I'm tattooed. But not a lot of people at the office know that." He just nodded slowly.

[Colored Guy]

Nah. I just turned to him and said, "So, yeah. I'm tattooed. But not a lot of people at the office know that." He just nodded slowly.

I'm 25+ years working with some of the same people and very few know. I see maybe 4-5 people at the gym, no bad reactions and they don't say anything to anyone at work. I think expecting a reaction may be over blown in my head.

I was at the beach a few years back, after I got my chest pieces done. This one guy from work sees me and I stop by to talk to him.. his jaw hit the sand. He looked visually shocked. I saw his wife say something to him after I walked away , like "who the fuck was that?".

There's one dipshit in the machine shop. He has this recently done little tattoo on his forearm, looks like one from the 25¢ gumball machine at the supermarket. He would foul himself if I rolled up a sleeve on him.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh man...I had a job 5 years where only two people knew I was tattooed. It was a fairly uptight office and we were required to wear long-sleeve dress shirts and slacks. Just short of a necktie. I would work out at the gym across the street on my lunch break. One day, I was in the locker room in nothing by my underwear when one of my coworkers walked in. I will never forget the look on his face. I had just finished my backpiece, and he definitely got an eyeful.

I used to needlessly worry about running into people I worked with in the summer. This was before I got back into tattoos again, I only had 4 at the time and they were a lot smaller and faded. I would carry a long sleeve shirt in the car and put it on if I had to go into a store. Talk about anal...

Rob

[CABS]

I wear a suit and tie myself. Just recently I showed up to the company picnic to play softball. Definitely got some crazy looks.