Tattoos In The Workplace

My take on tattoos. I am an artist and love art in all forms - tattoos included. However I do not like going into an art gallery and be bombarded with each painting hanging too close to the next. Art is individual and should be viewed on its own one at a time. Tattoos that are over done and too close to each other makes it difficult to determine the design, expression and colors. I know its a cultural thing for some to get as many as they want but come on let's try to do this in good taste. In the workplace if a client views the employer covered in tattoos their thought would be that this person has a complusive personality (at least that would be what I would think). Just my 2 cents. BTW I found a beautiful art deco tattoo online today - design and colors amazing.

Like a lot of guys, I considered getting inked around the time I was 20 or so.

I'm glad I didn't. Not because of the design or location, but because of where life took me. I know for a fact that I wouldn't have been hired for my current job if I'd gone through with it - nor would I be welcome at my gym, or the pool, or the golf course. Tats are pretty commonplace in western countries these days, but in a lot of the world they're still equated with being a criminal. That may change eventually, but it hasn't yet.

At the time, I didn't think I'd be happily settling down in the country on the other side of the world in 20 years. If I had ink, I wouldn't even have had the chance.

reply to post by crazydaisy


hhhmmm...cumpolsive personality...I think a few decades a go that might fit the tattoed "genre" of people. but today there just are to many people that have at least one.

my best friend has one (only because I insisted he get it and we get something similar), but he is the most financially conservative and un-cumpolsive person I have ever met especially for someone in his twenties...he doesnt even like to go to bars!! ...lol

the exact opposite of me in so many ways..its kind of weird..people often say how the F are you two best friends? yep...prob cuz we have known eachother since diapers..but anyway.off topic..

u can consider me cumpolsive, but I dont think that fits everyone with a tattoo

reply to post by vox2442


not being welcome to a gym or pool because of a tattoo is absurd.

im glad you didnt go through with it in your twenties if you didnt want to. having that ability to stop yourself from doing something stupid is definitely a good thing.

I have 5 tattos, a so called tramp stamp that goes from one hip to the other in a tribal fashion with stars linked in it. I have a tattoo on my back that goes from shoulder blade to shoulder blade of the harley davidson trademark that says Daddys little Girl with angel wings to represent the lost of my father (he'll always have my back) I have a blue scorpio on my hip, a tattoo in memory of my 6 month old daughter on my right calf that takes up most of it ( A mother holding a baby with a ribbon underneith with her name and birth and death date, and finally a zodiac ankle braclet, (Can you tell Im into astrology?) I personally dont see anything wrong with tattoos I dont judge people by them, but if you have a sleeve then just wear long sleeve button ups shirts. Obviously all of mine are coverable, and I planned them that way my first tattoo at 17 my last at 21... but the head director of my job cant STAND tattoos I work at a hospital, my hiring manager warned me not to let the one on my lower back show because the higher up hates tattoos, EXSPECIALLY "TRAMP STAMPS"...which really pissed me off, just because I have a lower back tattoo does NOT MAKE ME A TRAMP! Anyways I guess it all depends on the person, just try to cover it up the best you can , thats all we can do now a days ... Good luck!

reply to post by open_eyeballs


I didn't say everyone that had tattos was compulsive - I said those that are covered with them appear to have compulsive personalities because they didn't know when to stop getting tats. Actually I should have said obsessive compulsive.

reply to post by open_eyeballs


Hi, well I posted back on page two, I think. Yes, if I had it to do over again, I would still get the tattoos that I have. I would guess from my earlier post that you guys probably would guess me for a non-tatooed sympathizer, but I do have tatoos, on my inner hip (going from hip in towards belly button). They are meaningful for me, and took me temporarily away from some pain I had in my life at the time. In fact, I think I will start a thread on that, based on some other conversations I have had with friends who have tatoos.

reply to post by open_eyeballs


On the contrary I knew this big bodybuilder type who acted really feminine yet was not gay. I've known fairly muscled guys who were quite the geeks and recluses, and it was usually the skinny guys that acted all "hardcore" like they just saw a gangster movie. Just sayin', here where I live though, the stereotype of a skinny sleeved junkie has a firm base. I live in a welfware country where people like them can just leech off government money to buy drugs and tatts.

reply to post by open_eyeballs


Anything that detracts from your work, the product you are selling and the firm you represent makes a difference. Poor taste in clothes, very over weight, provocative dress, piercings, wild hair cuts and yes, tattoos matter. There are firms that would not be represented by someone with visible tattoos. Do they define what and who you are? No. When you are out representing a firm, the owner of that firm may well decide that a gent with large, visible tattoos is not the "kind" of person he wants representing him? Yes. Is that fair? Yes because its his business.

I would wear a long sleeve shirt.

reply to post by open_eyeballs


I am more concerned with the client/ agent relationship. Not as much the employer/ employee relationship.

Ill just repost some of my initial questions. I would like to hear all opinions as if you were possibly going to be working with me (or someone that has tattoos) and you happened to notice them or saw me somewhere else and found out outside of the business relationship that I had many tattoos.

Would that affect our business relationship at all?

Thanks.

Would you take that into consideration if we were dealing with a lot of money in business? Lets say I was just as professional as the next guy and even had a good reputation, but you saw my tattoos one day randomly or something. Would it concern you? Create hesitations? Cast a doubt on my abilities to perform as expected?

Do what i did.....get both of my feet tattooed.

No-one can see them unless you really want them too.

Doesn't effect employment, unless i decide to become a foot model.

I don't think tattoos should matter when it comes to working, but i think it's pretty silly to expect to be covered in them and always be accepted in any workplace.

CX.

Originally posted by open_eyeballs
reply to post by open_eyeballs

 

I am more concerned with the client/ agent relationship. Not as much the employer/ employee relationship

That's where a lot of people are missing the boat here; they're taking it personally. The employer/employee relationship is covered by a myriad of laws which govern how you are allowed to treat each other. Many of these laws deal with discrimination. Where it was once the case that discrimination laws dealt with things you cannot change, e.g. race, today discrimination laws creep into areas of choice.

But a client/agent relationship is, at least at this stage, voluntary. The agent is seeking to recruit the client as a customer. In theory, both parties seek to gain from the relationship. As an agent, by and large, you cannot force a prospective client to become a customer. In fact, he can discriminate against you if he wants to, though he may not be able to say why.

Now, there are certain things you simply cannot help: Your height, your sex, your race. Sometimes those attributes can help you; sometimes they will hinder you. I have a cousin who is 6' 10" tall. A male has a distinct and proven advantage by being taller--to a certain point (about 6'5"), but over that, it's a hindrance. It's intimidating. Because of his great height my cousin is somewhat socially handicapped. It's not something he can help, but it hinders him in his business dealings. People have to "get over" the fact that he is tall before they can calm down and face the issues.

Another factor is whether you are beautiful/handsome or (cough) ugly. You know you've seen beautiful women who have the brains behind them in their profession can do very very well for themselves because their sexual charm attracts people to them. I've seen women use this to be very manipulative and devious. On the other hand, many beautiful women do no such thing and are very straightforward. I can't speak to handsome versus ugly men here. I suspect it is the same.

So now we come to things you CAN control, and tattoos (and piercings) fall into that category. Here a client's reactions become cultural really fast. I met a couple of Maori women at a conference recently. At first I was just puzzled, then I realized they were from New Zealand. They were very pleasant, but had very formal tattoos all over their faces and lips. Well, that's a Maori custom. In fact, these women may have had no choice in the matter and received these tattoos as children. As a potential client would I shun them? Of course not!

Another example. Let's say I hired a financial advisor to manage my fortune (Insert laughter here), then I saw him in the gym and discovered he has a USMC globe and anchor on his bicep. Would I then feel uneasy with him? Not no, but Hell, No! My brother was in the Marines. I know what they are like, Duty & Honor are part of their character. Had my brother been wounded in combat, any Marine would have gotten him out of harm's way at the risk of his own life. My opinion of Marines is that they are of a high character. I would trust him more, not less.

So it boils down to what tattoos you have. If you have visible tattoos advertising the drug culture, satanism, goth culture, skulls, and other things depicting an anti-establishment point of view, that would put me off. If you were covered in tattoos, that would tell me you are obsessed with them, and that would put me off. My choice. Doesn't matter if you consider that unfair. One more story.

My tattoo is of "Captain High," the man depicted on a pack of zig-zag cigarette papers. The whole issue is about smoking pot, of course. It's a 'drug culture' tattoo. I got it when I was in the Navy. Years later I went through pilot training school. One of the requirements was a physical. It was a rinky dink physical, but the idea was they didn't want you having a heart attack in the air. Part of this physical was to strip to your underwear. The Doctor zeroed in on the tattoo.

"What is this?:" he demanded. I told him it was a "French farmer." He didn't buy it. He quizzed me some more because, I believe, he knew exactly what it was and what it represented and if I were a pot smoking kind of guy, that was grounds to refuse me my pilot's license. I was kind of desperate there so I told him, "Look. I was in the Navy. One weekend all the guys piled into a chevy and drove to this tiny tattoo parlor in Geneva, Wisconsin. Everyone got tattoos and they were spending $40-$50 even $75 for then (in 1971) "Death before Dishonor" with a sailor dripping blood on an anti-aircraft gun as he was killed in action--that sort of thing. I didn't want to spend that kind of money and, frankly, this was the cheapest one they had for only $10, so that's what I got and everyone thought it was cool, so I passed the sailor initiation test. I'm cheap and thought it was a waste of money to spend two week's salary on an expensive tattoo. That's all."

So I got my pilot's license. The doc let me go, but that was very close. And that's a very good example of the issues here.