TATTOOS IN THE WORKPLACE
BY
JULIA LOGLISCI
S
tatistics indicate that four in ten people between the ages
of eighteen and twenty nine years have at least one tattoo.
Many young high school graduates from this group are in
need of a job; but, does having a tattoo create barriers for
employment?
Now, be honest, when you think of a person who is covered in
tattoos, where do you picture them working? A tattoo shop?
Construction? A bar? What about bureau jobs in the government, or a doctors office? Unfortunately, this “inappropriate”
stigma that generalizes tattooed-covered individuals will never
disappear, but the question is, is it fair?
It is safe to say that image still matters in obtaining and keeping
a job, possibly more than ever before. A study conducted
by CareerBuilder.com found that thirty seven percent of HR
Managers refer to tattoos as the ‘third physical attribute most
likely to limit career potential’. So even if a person has attended
university or college, received their credentials and are greatly
skilled, their appearance can always affect and sometimes
limit them when searching for a career.
Angelina, a legal secretary at a governmental office, explains
how some individuals from her generation may portray tattoos
in the work place.
“The old-school mentality is that tattoos may
represent a lifestyle that may not be conducive
for that work environment”
“Depending on the location of the tattoo, it may not portray
a professional image. Some people may have a biased
perception towards visible tattoos. If the tattoo is visible or
offensive, it may have an impact on the customer in that
environment and may not portray the image expected by the
employer. If representing specific employers, large, obvious
tattoos may not be appropriate in that work environment.”
Although it is clear that some employers may agree that
tattoos have an impact on professionalism, does this mean
that business owners themselves can not be successful if they
are heavily inked?
Cole Byers, Owner at McRae’s Restaurant in Victoria, has
sleeve tattoos covering both arms. We asked Cole to share his
experience regarding tattoos in the work place.
In the past, have you ever faced difficulties with an employer because of your tattoos?
“Once in the past I had an employer at a bar ask me to wear
long sleeves so my tattoos were not visible. But within a
month’s time he was no longer concerned with my tattoos and
I displayed them openly.”
Do you think it is harder for tattoo covered individuals to
find jobs in a profession where tattoos might be portrayed
as “inappropriate” (such as a doctors office, a government
desk job, etc.)
20 | West Coast Ink | Issue 2
“I think there still may be work environments and professions
that consider tattoos as ‘inappropriate’. I believe more and
more workplaces view tattoo ink as an art expression of one’s
memories, beliefs or interests. I think there are less people in
our society who associate tattoos with the rebel or rough type
persona. “
Would you hire somebody to work for you even though
they had a lot of tattoos?
“I have no concern with hiring someone who has tattoos. In
the service industry such as a restaurant, I do need to be sensitive to the fact that I serve a wide range of clientele so the
tattoos need to be tasteful and attractive. Ink can often be an
object of conversation.”
What can be done to help people realize that discriminating against tattoo’s in the work place is not fair?
“I think over time people will realize that tattoos are just another artistic mode of self expression. The more often people
show pride in their tattoos at work, the more it will become
accepted.”
It’s fair to say that ones opinion regarding tattoos in the
work place is a biased one. Sure there might be people with
tattoos who would say that they should be accepted in the
work place, but there might also be people with tattoos who
slightly disagree. Maybe it all comes down to the actual
appropriateness and location of the tattoo itself. Yes, to some
a sleeve of tattoos just looks like a bunch of ink, but to others
the difference between a drunken leprechaun with a Guinness
in i