Tattoos in the Workplace - Acceptable or No? - Comments

While I can't see a reason for employers to care, I also hate when people cry "discrimination! " when they aren't hired because of their tattoos and piercings. These are things we choose to do to our bodies and we do so knowing how the professional world operates. Yes, it sucks but until the older generation retires or dies off (crass but true), it's reality and we either suck it up, learn to cover them up, or quit getting them.

That being said, every tattoo I have except two are visible tattoos. I have only had one potential employer who informed me I would have to wear long sleeves or jewelry to cover them up. I understood because it was an office job representing the entire city. There are some work places that it will always be deemed unacceptable.

i work at the y and we can't show tattoos at all. or piercings. i can only wear 1 pair of earrings even though i have like 3 holes. lol but when i worked at FedEx they didn't care if we had piercings or tattoos.

I have tattoos. I have two jobs. as well. Both of which know and don't pay it any mind. But they aren't office jobs. I have one on the back of my neck and one on my wrist. The others you can't see. I guess it all depends where you work. I work at a local dunkin donuts and I'm an assistant at a salon. Both part time. Neither had said anything. It for sure all depends on your job, but it shouldn't. Many people have tattoos.. my mother its more concerned about how it will look when I get married. And I think it shouldn't. matter even then. If I wanted to cover them there its makeup that can conceal it now.

I think people nerd to grow up and just live with it. Tattoos do not and should not make your view on them any different than someone who doesn't have any tattoos. It doesn't matter of a person has a tattoo. It does not make them any less intelligent.

I, too, intend to get more in the future. It's my choice. It does not make me any different. I'm still the same kind hearted person.

I have tattoos and piercings, two of which are visible on the inside of my forearms, so I completely agree with you here. Just because I have tattoos, doesn't mean I can't do the job just as well, if not better, than someone who doesn't have any at all. It pisses me off that some people are still so narrow minded in this day and age to reject a person just because they have ink. I've been to job interviews where the interviewer actually commented on mine, and we struck up a decent conversation about them in general. But there have been other people that look down their noses at me because of it. To those people, I say screw you! It's my body, I choose what to have on it. Doesn't make me less intelligent or unable to do a good job. And I intend to get many more tattoos too, they are things that I want a permanent reminder of. And partly because I know it pisses some people off XD

That's just my two pennies worth, haha.

My high school lit teacher had full sleeves on both arms and they ended just before his wrist. He said it was so he could wear suits and not let any of his ink show. But it didn't really matter. He didn't wear long sleeves or suit jackets. He let it show. The school didn't care.

I honestly don't understand why it's such a bad thing to have tattoos. Do people think it makes you a delinquent or something? I don't even know. But I wouldn't not hire anyone because they had tattoos or piercings, as long as they looked presentable (dressed nice, things like that). Someone might come into your office asking for a job, and you turn them down because they have a tattoo and you might have just lost the best employee in the world because they had a tattoo. Tattoos have nothing to do with how you work as a person. It's simply permanent art on someone's body. I can understand if the tattoo is completely inappropriate, but regular tattoos aren't a big deal.

I think they're acceptable. I was just having this conversation with people in my government class today. I got my first tattoo a little over a month ago (easily hidden, but able to show it off if I'd like), and I think it's ridiculous that a lot of people (albeit more in the older generations, not necessarily ours) are so judgmental about them. I think it's more a glimpse into that person's personality/life and I think that is so cool. You can learn so much about a person, I think, by looking at their tattoos. Don't get me wrong, like Dru said, things like "fuck the world" on your face (or anywhere on your body, for that matter) can send off the wrong message, but something like my Harry Potter tattoo isn't tacky and should be easily accepted without someone going "why in the world would you want that?"

As someone who has tattoos, I don't think the basic entry-level jobs have customers who truly give a shit. I'm talking retail, fast food, waitressing, etc. I have tattoos and have had a lip ring and I can count the negative comments on two fingers and the positive feedback continues to this day.

I always think tattoos should be covered at an interview. I think it is professional and appropriate in an unknown environment to always err on the side of caution. Tattoos are generally discussed during orientation.

I can understand why certain professional atmospheres may have 'no tattoo' rules, but I do think the majority of people truly don't give a shit whether or not you are tattooed, so long as you don't have something like 'fuck the world' across your face.

I work at a call center for a big carpet company and there are several people here that have sleeves. I thought it would be a big deal but evidently it's not...so I don't hide mine anymore. I did for my interview though. And also one of my supervisors has a small nose piercing.

That article is ridiculous. My student teacher from American history had tattoos on his arms and it didn't make him a bad teacher. If anything, he was a far better teacher than the actual teacher. People ignorantly treat tattoos like personality signifiers, just like they do piercings and certain hair cuts.

It bugs me honestly. I work in fast food and while I currently have no tattoos, I plan to get them. Here they make you cover up your tattoos with long sleeves or sweat bands. It's bothersome because it's not like the ink is going to rub off in people's food.....it's permanent.