Tattoo acceptance in the work place?

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  • tmm_0127
    tmm_0127 Posts: 545 Member
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    I have four tattoos now. 2 in immediately visible areas, 2 that can be seen but are very easy to cover up. I started working for the gov't three years ago, and my first manager had piercings all up his ears and has many visible tattoos. Now, we're part of a way more relaxed branch of the gov't, but still. xD I always thought that if I can't be myself, I wouldn't want to work there anyway.
  • OllyReeves
    OllyReeves Posts: 579 Member
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    I don't know of any religion, race or culture of whose members are likely to be interviewing at my estate agency in Surrey, just outside of London, where visible (with business dress) tattoos are forced upon them, or compulsory in some way.. Unless you would like to enlighten me.....

    As bland as London may be, you can't see a situation where someone from a region where it is cultural would move there and may have the gall to interview?

    If you can't imagine something so common and simple, it would be well nigh impossible for me to elucidate the situation for you any further. I would think a member of the empire would understand that there may be others present within the borders.

    Read what I wrote. If I am missing a slice of the international community that is likely in any way to spend the first half of their life being forcibly tribally tattooed, and the latter half selling houses to people in London, then let me know.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    Face_tattoo.jpg

    As hot as I think that is ^^^, she's not representing my company in the board room trying to close a deal with a multi-billion dollar bank client. It would be completely in-appropriate in my line of work and a great many business environments.

    I'm not sure what so many people here don't seem to get about that..but then again, the ones that don't get it are obviously the ones inking themselves in places that can't be covered and then crying foul and "discrimination".

    A person who is head-to-toe covered in tattoos like the woman above knows they are more than likely not going to get hired anywhere professional. Speaking on behalf of the people I know who are covered in tattoos, they are also more than likely not going to be looking to get hired anywhere professional.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    I don't know of any religion, race or culture of whose members are likely to be interviewing at my estate agency in Surrey, just outside of London, where visible (with business dress) tattoos are forced upon them, or compulsory in some way.. Unless you would like to enlighten me.....

    As bland as London may be, you can't see a situation where someone from a region where it is cultural would move there and may have the gall to interview?

    If you can't imagine something so common and simple, it would be well nigh impossible for me to elucidate the situation for you any further. I would think a member of the empire would understand that there may be others present within the borders.

    Read what I wrote. If I am missing a slice of the international community that is likely in any way to spend the first half of their life being forcibly tribally tattooed, and the latter half selling houses to people in London, then let me know.

    I can lead a goat to water, but I can't force it to become a mermaid. I already read what you wrote, shook my head at the derp involved, and chalked it up to, "because UK."
  • moosegt35
    moosegt35 Posts: 1,296 Member
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    The comments are all so interesting. I work with law enforcement and tattoos are huge - both male and female alike. Lots of full sleeves, wrists, very visible. I totally get that they may not be acceptable everywhere and would never take that personally - unless someone is judging my character - that's just small minded.

    Yep. I understand an employer's right to set their dress code.

    Judging character based on tattoos is just plain ignorant.

    Not always. Sometimes it's pretty easy. For example see 1st and 3rd tattoo. Pretty easy to judge their character by their ink.

    http://awfulink.com/
  • moosegt35
    moosegt35 Posts: 1,296 Member
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    If someone applies for work and I see a tattoo or earring they don't get hired, period. My company and my rules. If you have tats located where normal dress has them covered thats fine.

    Oh that reminds me of another point. I have decided not to hire artists and designers before due to a lack of tattoos. In those cases (I can think of three right now) I had a group of interviewed folks that were almost exactly equal in every way. So I'd go with the ones that had tattoos (or admitted to having them.)

    Every time I did that, it ended up being an excellent decision.

    so how exactly did you evaluate the performance of someone you DIDN'T hire?
  • moosegt35
    moosegt35 Posts: 1,296 Member
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    If someone applies for work and I see a tattoo or earring they don't get hired, period. My company and my rules. If you have tats located where normal dress has them covered thats fine.

    Oh that reminds me of another point. I have decided not to hire artists and designers before due to a lack of tattoos. In those cases (I can think of three right now) I had a group of interviewed folks that were almost exactly equal in every way. So I'd go with the ones that had tattoos (or admitted to having them.)

    Every time I did that, it ended up being an excellent decision.



    so how exactly did you evaluate the performance of someone you DIDN'T hire?

    He didn't, he is just pulling facts from his *kitten* to supoprt his claim.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    He didn't, he is just pulling facts from his *kitten* to supoprt his claim.

    ROFL. UMADBRO.
  • EMTFreakGirl
    EMTFreakGirl Posts: 597 Member
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    Paramedic here and I have several that are visible when working. I think the main thing is whether any tatt could be considered offensive. The 3 most visible ones I have are a small frog prince (done in white ink, so you really have to look for that one.) A granny smith apple on my forearm, and snowflakes cascading down my right arm from my shoulder. No one has ever had a problem with them and many times they are commented on POSITIVELY by patient's and their families.
  • OutlawQueen
    OutlawQueen Posts: 13
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    aT 57 i GOT MY FIRST (and so far only) tattoo with a friend together last year. It's on my right back shoulder blad and it is of butterflies as last year was my "transitional" year. I knew I was having weight loss surgery and it represents my end of the previous life into a beautiful new revitalizatoin... I love it, and my friend got a butterfly too.

    We had known each other way back in high school and reconnected just two years ago.

    It was special...........
  • Spaghetti_Bender
    Spaghetti_Bender Posts: 509 Member
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    I have 7 of them ,and i work as a technician. Never in the 26 years that i've been in my company have i ever had an issue.........but now since we've downsized and moved, i'm the only one that has more than one tattoo.
  • SillaWinchester
    SillaWinchester Posts: 363 Member
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    I have one tattoo on my wrist and it goes all the way around. Sometimes I forget that I have it and that some people don't "approve" but I really don't care? I mean, if someone is going to discriminate against me for a tattoo that has a LOT of meaning to me, then I don't need them in my life nor do I need to work for/with them.

    But really, I've had it for almost two years now and besides the "Omg! YOU got a tattoo? WHAT!?" shock factor when they first see it and remember how much of a wimp I am with pain lol no one really cares!

    And I work for the Department of Social and Health Services (it's a government paid job) and no one cares!

    I guess it just depends on where you live and the standards there.
  • BadKittie05
    BadKittie05 Posts: 157 Member
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    I work for the Social Security Administration and I get lots of compliments on my tattoos. They cannot impose a dress code on us and cannot discriminate against anyone for tattoos or piercings. :smile:
  • PurpleStars73
    PurpleStars73 Posts: 21
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    I have lots, so does my boss, so it's all good :-)
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
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    The comments are all so interesting. I work with law enforcement and tattoos are huge - both male and female alike. Lots of full sleeves, wrists, very visible. I totally get that they may not be acceptable everywhere and would never take that personally - unless someone is judging my character - that's just small minded.

    Yep. I understand an employer's right to set their dress code.

    Judging character based on tattoos is just plain ignorant.

    Not always. Sometimes it's pretty easy. For example see 1st and 3rd tattoo. Pretty easy to judge their character by their ink.

    http://awfulink.com/

    First off, you wouldn't see the first tattoo unless the person's pants were down.

    You're being a bit dramatic and unrealistic with your choice of tattoos to show.

    Judging someone's character based on their tattoos is ignorant. Plain and simple.

    Yes, someone small-minded will find it easy to judge someone with a stupid tattoo on their *kitten* or face.

    The smarter person knows that a tattoo doesn't define a person's character and knows that the tattoos on the link you provided are probably 1) photoshopped or 2) fake. Don't believe everything you see on the internet :smile:
  • SNLover87
    SNLover87 Posts: 101 Member
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    I have most of my arms, back, chest, and one leg mostly covered, but fortunately my boss doesn't care if they show or not. I work for a software company as a trainer, but I train over the phone so clients never have to see me. Although I did a one-on-one session with a client last year and he didn't make any comments to me about covering them up. I did anyway, just because. Turns out the client wanted to talk about them and had some herself. We really bonded over that lol

    I hid my tattoos when I interviewed, bc I'm not an idiot lol Then I slowly started to show them after I'd been here a few months and no one really cared. In fact, despite the fact that my boss is actually fairly conservative, he thinks it's awesome that I have a binary tattoo (given the company) and loves to tell people about it.
  • Oscarinmiami
    Oscarinmiami Posts: 326 Member
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    I know I am in the minority here but I don't like tattoos and I would never get one. I would never hire anyone that had a bunch of them, one or two I could live with but if you had any on your face or hands I wouldn't hire or date you. :sad:
  • PinUp2014
    PinUp2014 Posts: 79 Member
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    I work in an office environment at an university where jeans are accepted but not exactly encouraged.
    I have two tats, one on my wrist and I have never once felt the need to cover it up or blame it for any issues that came my way.

    Each supervisor is different, so if you're considering a tattoo in a visible area I would consult with the environment you're in.
  • krawhitham
    krawhitham Posts: 831 Member
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    I worked for 6 surgeons in a private practice and they hired a girl with a neck tattoo, and a guy with a visible arm tattoo as back office medical assistants, and an admin assistant who has a knuckle tattoo and a wrist tattoo. Oh, also one of the front desk women has a visible tattoo.

    I was working in San Francisco, and visible tattoos there are widely acceptable. Not sure they would be in other areas of the country as much...
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Tattoo's IMO look dirty and a complete turn off.

    I was in a fish and chips place where the cooks serve you and this guy had some gross tattoo on the top of his hand. Needless to say, I haven't gone back there.

    If you are working with the public - cover them up not everyone shares your views thinking they are art or attractive.

    You must get to spend a lot of time indoors and alone based on your logic.

    Because I don't share your view? How little of you....
    but it's not little of you to unilaterally say all tatoos are dirty? I keep mine covered at work but will let them show in public. both of them have a lot of meaning to me, and I thought long and hard before getting either of them. It's pretty insulting to hear someone call them "dirty".

    I agree with mccindy. All three of my tattoos have a huge significance and for you to call them "dirty" is rude and disrespectful. You don't know the meaning behind a person's tattoo(s). To not like tattoos is one thing, but to call them dirty is another.

    what's sad is it's art- it doesn't HAVE to mean something. It is absolutely OKAY for it to mean nothing.

    I am a "mean something" person. But I don't begrudge anyone with good art that is just art.

    It's rude to just assume someone is dirty because they like art. Either way it's rude. you don't have to like it- but you don't have to think it's dirty- dirty implies bad. and they are not inherently bad.

    I'm (although I never thought I would say this) grateful I know work in a white collar but highly PC office.. meaning- once you are in- you are in- and as long as you aren't extremely over the top- you're fine.

    You may not be discriminated against- but they may show prejudice... but as long as you're *kitten* is mostly line- they can't really do anything.

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