Guyette

Hailey Guyette
Ms. Bradley
ENC 2135
February 24, 2016

Tattoos in the Workplace

The tattoo community has been growing in recent years since young adults have
popularized them. People all across the United States see students and teenagers getting tattoos
without thinking of the consequences this can bring to their professional future. The problem
these young adults are facing is that they are unable to find a serious job because of their tattoo.
Although this is not a new issue, it is becoming more apparent now that tattoos are becoming a
lot more mainstream with the recent generations. Most employers see them as inappropriate and
unprofessional which is why they do not hire the people with visible tattoos. It is difficult to find
a solution to a problem that has been around for so long, but there are people out there
attempting to change peoples perspectives.
The non-tattoo community consists of people with some of the same reasons why people
do get a tattoo. According to Pentinas study, people do not want tattoos because of religion;
fear of permanence, conformity, and pain; the stereotype; and they believe they can be creative
in an alternative way. Teenagers fear tattoos a lot of times because they do not want to
disappoint their family, fear of judgment, or struggle with getting a job. They are viewed as a
deviant act, one that causes individuals to associate those with tattoos with risky and foolish
behavior (Hilliker 62). With this association, it is hard to hire people with body art because
they have the stereotype of not being as serious or professional as others. Also, the presence of

Guyette 2

tattoos may ignite fear and hesitation toward individuals, among the general population, tattooed
individuals are less likely to be harshly disapproving toward their tattooed counterparts (Hilliker
63). A lot of the time the negative attitudes towards tattoos comes from the older population
since when they were getting a job, tattoos were almost forbidden. Just about most of this
population consists of people that judge people based on appearances. It is hard not to, but how
can they know who someone truly is if they do not give them a chance to explain why they have
a tattoo or who they are. Even though there is the one side of this community filled with people
against or not into tattoos, there are others within it too. Not all people apart of the non-tattoo
community view them as a negative thing. There are positive perceptions and people that admire
the art people creatively place on their body. Some people may be unable to get any body art
and just admire the entire community from afar since they cannot be apart of it. Most people
with this attitude are apart of the younger population.
The tattoo community exists for countless reasons varying from religion, culture,
rebellious attitude, creativity, social influences, remembrance, and more. An individuals tattoo
ranges from having a great meaning or no meaning at all. There is no way to list all of the
possible reasons why one would get a tattoo. A lot of people consider what they decide to put on
their body is a piece of art. It might remind someone of an important time in their life, be their
favorite symbol or quote, or they just thought it would look good on their body. What all these
reasons have in common though is that they are a form of expression. People may have the same
tattoo, but it is on them for a different purpose. There is also no age limit on tattoos, anyone
legal can get a tattoo. In one study with data from blogs and student essays, the author discovers
that the motivations for both tattoo adoption and non-adoption are situated in the realms of
identity-relevant meanings of the tattoo act/procedure and design/image, anchored in the

Guyette 3

dialectic of socio-psychological orientations of conformity and differentiation (Pentina 6).

People are motivated differently when getting or not getting tattoos. They give people
something to relate to and tell stories about themselves. Nineteen-year-old student at Florida
State University Grace Glancy has two tattoos that both have a back story to. Her first tattoo
took her three months to get and even then she was unsure about it when she walked into the
parlor. Grace got the crest of Florence, Italy on her ankle to remind her of her incredible
experience of studying abroad. After getting the tattoo she said that that she is worried about
finding a job, but at the same time [she] love[s] her tattoos and [she] wouldnt do anything to
change that. [She] wants to find a job that accepts [her]. (Glancy) There are an assortment of
never ending stories about how and why someone got a tattoo, but a lot of tattooed people have a
similar view to Graces opinion. When thinking about the future, Grace also thinks that her
future employers will question [her] work ethic because of [her] tattoos, but once they know
how great of a worker [she is], theyll look past the tattoos (Glancy). She even goes into how
since she already has two tattoos, she does not see any reason not to get ten more.
Where and how tattooed people are discriminated depends on a lot of factors. White
collar jobs like being a CEO of a major company, are where the most discrimination against
body art is seen. Since these are the more professional jobs, it seems inappropriate to have any
artwork on their body. In Hillikers study, it also resulted that people with tattoos appear to be
more rebellious, but less attractive, respectful, and presentable. All these reasons make sense as
to why an employer may not want to hire someone whether it is the tattoo giving them these
characteristics or not. While at blue collar jobs like mechanics, it is more likely to find a more
accepting environment where people are less judgmental about someone has one their body.
Private employers have more control over who they hire and their rules. Basically, employment

Guyette 4

decisions can be based on any factor [private employers] desire, as long as it does not run
contrary to any specific law (Elzweig 15). Another factor and although it may not seem like it,
but gender is a key role in some stereotypes. It seems as though tattoos are more attractive on
women through a survey that was conducted, but they are not attractive on either gender if they
are over done. Even though in the study, most people did not agree with the negative stereotypes
of tattooed people, they are still the main reason people are judged. (Totten 93) Finally, it seems
as though older people are more likely to tattoo shame compared to younger generations. In
Foltzs study, she discusses how older individuals felt that persons with tattoos were not as
smart, less good-looking, and less truthful than individuals who did not display any tattoos
(Foltz 591). Older employers are more biased about this issue because when they began looking
for jobs, tattoos were not even allowed for most occupations.
The majority of people in the tattoo community understand the consequences of getting
tatted, but believe it is not completely fair for it to prevent them from being hired. The members
think that having a tattoo does not make someone a bad person, so why should one small detail
make someone unemployed? This stereotype begins to formulate with young teenagers. Starting
in high school, there are studies that show tattoos are an indication if some students will attend
college or not. They show a preference for an unusual lifestyle that is not customary (Foltz
592). Because of this indication, most people assume that inked up people live an abnormal,
uneducated lifestyle sometimes which is unfair in their opinion, but a consequence of getting a
tattoo. An organization named STAPAW (Support Tattoos and Piercings at Work) believes that
My body is not my resume. Tattooed people argue that the first thing they should be judged
on during an interview is not their tattoo, but their business experience. Although some people
may be hired and have a job for a long period of time, their art might cause customers to

Guyette 5

complain and result in the employee being fired since a boss is worried about losing business.
When hiring, businesses are more worried about their customers than their employees. They
select someone to work for them because they believe that they are going to make customers feel
comfortable. A business is unlikely to hire someone that they think will cause discomfort
towards any possible customer.
One of the only ways to try and solve this issue is to fight. People go to court, create
organizations, and get the word out about why tattoos are not that bad of a thing to have while
working. Since tattoos are able to be altered, they are not protected by the law. The only way
for employees with body art to be protected by the law in the workplace is if it exists for
religious reasons because of Title VII. Title VII made it unlawful employment practice for an
employerto discriminate against any individualbecause of such individuals race, religion,
sex, or national origin. (Civil Rights Act of 1964). People use this and their First Amendment
rights in order to protect themselves and their tattoos in the workplace. The problem with this
can be that people may say their offensive tattoos may represent their beliefs, but they are not
appropriate to be visible in the workplace. If it is included in the dress code though, the court
will always uphold them. It is a lot harder to discuss violations of these policies in court since it
is more of a newer problem. The court must have evidence of the claim of violation in order to
clearly prove discrimination occurred. Finally, the more common tattoos become, the only way
to prevent them from being seen is to create a more specific and strict dress code. It seems as
though there will be a rise in the number of state and local ordinances that prohibit
discrimination that prohibit discrimination based on [tattoos] (Elzweig 19).
Most workplaces are realizing that tattoos are becoming more mainstream, and that most
of the younger generation might have at least one tattoo whether it is visible or not. Tattoos are

Guyette 6

argued to not be a problem in the workplace because it is a form of freedom of speech. Also, it
is argued that it is their body, so other people do not need to worry about it. It is another form of
artistic expression just like music, writing, and painting, but people almost fear this form
expression more than others since it is permanent. According to Tottens questionnaire, out of
the people that do not have a tattoo, 56.6% of them do not consider people with body art to have
a bad image. Although over half of them believe that it does not create a bad image, 68.5% do
not believe that tattoos are appropriate for a person of any age. There are a few occupations that
are conforming to the body art. Surprisingly, in the sales profession, it has been found that
customers who themselves have tattoos were more likely to trust salespeople that also have
tattoos (Foltz 592). Also, it seems as though health care providers are becoming more
supportive towards tattoos even though some patients believe it looks unsanitary or dirty.
There is no way to stop people from getting body art and prevent it from getting anymore
popular, so customers are going to have to most likely conform as the occupations do.
The Support Tattoos and Piercings at Work organization aka STAPAW was created in
2013 after someone was fired from their job because of tattoos. Its goal is to raise awareness of
discrimination of tattoos and body piercings in the workplace. According to STAPAW, there has
been a 13% increase in tattoo popularity since 2007. They also claim that there are 420,600
employees this year who are allowed to have tattoos and piercings at their job. They have a list
of 10 arguments that people use to be against tattoos which are: it is unprofessional, it will scare
away customers, it is a health hazard, some tattoos are offensive, it is distracting, it is not
beautiful, it is not the image for our company, they are too extreme, if tattoos are allowed then
there is no way to prevent inappropriate ones, and there is a dress code. STAPAW helps support
tattoos with petitions, volunteer events, and help spread awareness.

Guyette 7

A way to help solve the problem of tattoos in the workplace is to define a strict dress
code that exists for everyone, not just for people with tattoos. Whether it is required for all
employees to wear long sleeves and pants, or that offensive symbols and words must be covered,
it protects the company from going to court. Although it is not ideal or the look they may be
going for, they will have to hire them to bring in young minds into the workplace. Some people
like longtime lawyer Goldner believe that there are some things that should be accounted for
when creating a policy for the job. They should think about their environment and what
conditions the employees are working in. If it is a hot environment, it is more likely to have
more skin showing compared to others. Other things to be considered are what type of clients
will be around and what are most of the employees like (Goldner 24). There are some sample
dress code policies that people have come up with that would not discriminate those with tattoos.
Instead of making it a policy to cover up all tattoos, only the offensive tattoos must be covered at
all times. Also, the policy may include that arms and legs must be covered while working so that
there is no chance of visible tattoos.
People outside of the tattoo community and hiring community tend to not really think
much about the issue. It does not effect them in anyway, if anything it will help open up more
jobs to them since people without tattoos are in higher demand than those with them. When
asked about this issue, they usually have two sides since there are people that admire tattoos but
do not have them, and there are the people that do not like them at all and also believe they
should not be allowed in the workplace. There is not much for them to do, and not much
awareness about the issue unless they know of someone else struggling. The only way that
people hear about this issue from outside is through social media campaigns from organizations
like STAPAW, or they have a family member or friend dealing with the problem.

Guyette 8

The tattoo community use pathos for the most part to persuade people that body art
should be allowed in all professions even if they may have to be less visible. By persuading
others and informing them about who they really are, not some stereotypical tattooed punk, it
might help outsiders realize that tattooed people are normal. They share some of the same
desires, views, and talents with people not in the community. Not only are pathos appealed to,
but also logos since there are some statistics to show what other people believe in order to
strengthen arguments. Questionnaires and surveys are conducted among university students to
get a better idea of what they think about body art. With having graphs and numbers for people
to see, it makes it easier to see what people think. Both of these appeals lead to this being an
informative but mainly persuasive community since the tattooed population is trying to let
people know their tattoos should not be an issue while working. From varying opinions, tattooed
people seem to lack any ethos. They are stereotyped to not having authoritative personalities
since most times it is hard to find them in high business positions.
As tattoos become more mainstream, they become more apparent throughout the
population. It is more likely to find someone with at least one tattoo nowadays compared to
forty years ago. Most people outside of the tattoo community have a hard time understanding
how hard it is to get a job and how judged those people are. The older generations also have
their own opinion of body art since it was not as popular within their workplace. It is harder for
them to be accepting of all the large visible tattoos since it was never really a problem back then.
Now that this issue is becoming larger than before, one of the only ways to solve it is to just
become more accepting. Businesses and the general public are going to have to eventually
conform to the idea of having tattooed people working for or with them. That is an extremely
hard thing to ask for because there will always people that have their own opinion, but employers

Guyette 9

are going to have to become more lenient about tattoos if they want to hire young innovative
people. The population must also realize how hard it is for people with tattoos to walk into a
workplace and have their tattoo, something permanent on their body, insulted repeatedly.
It might be years before tattoos are fully acceptable in the workplace, or it may never be
fully accepted. There are organizations and people fighting to solve this issue or at least trying to
reason with employers so that their body is not the reason they are denied possibly their dream
job. The only way to solve this issue, or at least make it not as big as an issue, is to create new
dress codes/restrictions or adjust to the new generations fads. Whether this is solved from a
change in heart or because the popularity of this form of expression, new policies will be made.
For now, people will keep their opinions and fight to have acceptance or fight to keep tattoos out
of the workplace.

Guyette 10

Works Cited

Elzweig, Brian, and Donna K. Peeples. "Tattoos and Piercings: Issues of Body Modification and
the Workplace." S.A.M.Advanced Management Journal 76.1 (2011):
13,23,2. ProQuest. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
Foltz, Kristen A. "The Millennial's Perception of Tattoos: Self Expression or Business Faux
Pas?" College Student Journal 48.4 (2014): 589-602. Print.
Glancy, Grace. Personal Interview. 13 Feb. 2016
Goldner, Harold M. "You're Going to Wear that? Appearance in the Workplace." GPSolo 27.1
(2010): 20-4. Print. 14 Feb. 2016
Hilliker, Ashley. Tattoos in the Workplace. Indiana University South Bend Undergraduate
Program (2010): 62-6. Print. 15 Feb. 2016
Pentina, Iryna and Spears, Nancy. "Reasons Behind Body Art Adoption: What Motivates Young
Adults to Acquire Tattoos?" Journal of Customer Behaviour 10.1 (2011): 73-94. Print.
"Support Tattoos and Piercings at Work." Support Tattoos and Piercings at Work. Heal the
World, 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
Totten, Jeff W., Thomas J. Lipscomb, and Michael A. Jones. "Attitudes Toward and Stereotypes
of Persons with Body Art: Implications for Marketing Management. Academy of
Marketing Studies Journal 13.2 (2009): 77-96. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.