Got tattoos? Sorry, you're not allowed to work for us

reply to post by beezzer

Welcome to ATS. I'd hire you in a heartbeat brother. But you'd have to have an AFSC of 325X0 to work for me. Good luck, be proud and your family will be in our prayers.

Is that an Air Force Spark Chaser?

reply to post by pajoly

I congratulate you on your business success and I sincerely would bet you do a bang up job for your customers. But in your case it is a damned good thing you started your own business. 1. It suits your base disposition and confidence, 2. You would be a nightmare employee with the mile high chip on your shoulder.

You are partially right. But somehow I managed "EE-Exceeds Expectation" for the 1st few yrs, then "CO-Clearly Outstanding" for the last 10 yrs there (17 yrs total). You have no idea what I accomplished while there, and there is no way I could prove it or tell you.

No, I was not the nightmare employee, It's just that I was still human, not the required automaton of today's corporate-fascist world. They pushed my buttons until I broke. All I did to get fired was question a policy. I will leave it at that.

ETA: the one who fired me was at the top, and had never met me. He didn't even know what I did for the corp. He did so over the vehement objections of my bosses. He had an agenda, and I was it. I was an example.

When one works for a big corp you are no longer human, you are assimilated. By the way you write, you seem to already know that. No offense. But no wonder this country is in the shape it's in. Corps want to own the employees 24/7/365 so what do they do? Outsource, maquiladoras, etc. That works for other cultures/peoples who have already been conquered and colonized. This American pride and belief in the Constitution will be eradicated completely before long; the Corporate-Fascists will ensure that.

reply to post by kyleisboss


I'd say it is rather ****ed how businesses have policies about tattoos, especially the job that turned you down. The only excuse they have for tattoos is that it looks unprofessional. I have a tattoo on my lower wrist that i can cover up by wearing longsleeves, but i'm 16 and have never even been officially employed by any business what-so-ever. I think it is ridiculous how they discriminate against people with tattoos. Why deny someones hardworking excellence because of some ink on their skin? Maybe they should start turning down colored people or people with skin disorders, because it looks unprofessional. # i forgot, they already have a law on accepting minorities with equivalent stats to a non-minority. So apparently if you're white, and you have the same history and GPA score as a minority, the minority will be accepted. Thats reaaal coool. Blew this topic way out of proportion, but good luck finding work. I say F those jobs and find something that doesn't care about tattoos, something that you love and will make you a lot of money.. Such as TV or FILM industry, or possibly Music ( that's what i'm going for, for i plan to get many more tattoos.) Have a nice day

reply to post by kyleisboss


Tattoos are becoming more socially acceptable these days with the tv shows like Miami Ink etc. I walked into a shoe shop the other day to find the sales lady had quite a lovely sleeve on her arm and waitresses at the coffee shop sporting ink all over. I don't have a problem with ink. I love the look, have my back done and a partial sleeve with more work on the way. Having said that everything i have had done i can cover and with my previous two jobs my employers had no idea I even had tattoos. For all their popularity there will always be people who associate ink with less than desirable aspects of society and their bias will not be swayed. Your only solution to this is look for work where the employers do not have a problem with visible tattoos and there are plenty out there.

reply to post by kyleisboss


Tattoo's are an expression of self at the moment in time they are applied. Like a person takes a picture to memorialize a moment in their lives, some people tattoo images that define a strong link they have with a person, issue, home, state, or other meaningful element in this mortal coil. I do not have a single tattoo anywhere on my body. I am autistic as such the idea of submitting myself to the pain of tattoo application is not at all appealing to me. That said as an autistic man I fully understand the allure of tattoos because; I think in pictures. Whenever I see a tattoo I instantly want to study it, because the person is finally speaking about themselves in a purely picture based visual medium I understand.

I totally and intensely love tattoos on anyone. My only problem with people who have tattoos is that they place them on bodies that they are uncomfortable about then they get mad if I stare at a tattoo to see what it says or means. I enjoy the patterns color and symbolism of tattoos. My problem comes only when the few insecure self conscious people get tattoos when they really shouldn't. Tattoos are art that when visible you have elected to share with the world. You should be proud of your tattoo as I would be.

My name is Wolf and yes I love you guessed it WOLVES! A Wolf is the ONLY tattoo I would ever get on my body because; I love Wolves. Were I to have a tattoo of a Black Wolf on my body I would want the world to enjoy him with me. I would pick a Wolf drawing that expressed my essential essence so to look at my Wolf tattoo you would come to know what is best about me. Like the original poster, were I to get a tattoo of a Wolf on my body I would be so proud of him, that no person living or dead in any company or human endeavor could make me regret getting my Wolf tattoo. I would place my Wolf on my lower arm because I want him seen for to hate him is to reveal a mind closed to my true self.

As an autistic man who also has thirteen disabilities I learned early that the world is full of fools that are afraid of everything. Many people were & are afraid of me because; I am autistic. Growing up my autism looked so much like mental retardation that NO EMPLOYERS would hire me. I am an old coot now so I am talking looking for jobs in a time before the Americans with Disabilities Act. I got turned down for every job I applied for in the olden days when employers had no problem telling me they would not hire me due to my obvious disabilities. I heard so many jerks call me retarded and worse to my face when applying for jobs but I never gave up trying to work.

I am the WOLF and I will follow my passion to work as a productive citizen to the ends of the Earth if need be. It did not happen over night but my Wolf centric nature helped me develop an understanding of my autism in ways helped me to survive then thrive in the workplace. I share all this so you know I have a deep intimate and abiding love of WOLVES. I would never let fools steal the joy I would have with a highly visible tattoo of a wolf on my body. My love of Wolves was the gift of pure joy God gave me that helped sustain me through the darkest moments alone with autism and thirteen disabilities. I'd want people to see my Wolf tattoo if I could get one because; I'd want them to share in a WOLF inspired joy that is uniquely mine.

Getting inked is not the act of fools, tats are a reflection of sensitive people who share with you in picture form the intimate joys of their lives. Even thugs criminals and the most base evil doers have one tiny spark of humanity in that tattoos reveal the true states of their black troubled hearts crying to be heard. Tattoos say in pictures what criminals and weak minds are too timid to say in words or action. For good people tattoos are the embodiment of the joyful moments that have shaped them. Tattoos tell a life story of their wearer as vivid high points and low points that offer keen insight to their souls. To reject tattoos out of hand is to return a gift from the heart unopened which hurts genuine souls. This man has an awesome work ethic, he passionately loves home & family his tattoos tell this story far better than any soulless form, if only the company men had eyes to see and hearts to hear. The good qualities of this man's soul are laid bare. Ohio with its clever wording, his daughters name & a broken heart speaking of love lost, its energy repurposed in renewal. There are NO NAZI symbols, just a nice sensitive man sharing his heart on tattooed hands. In this man good is being trampled by the beast of corporate conformity but you will survive and prosper never give up.

I never gave up. Today I have a job where I am valued respected & well paid. If you never give up you too will know success far greater than this puny job made for automatons. You did not get this job because you are better than that. God Bless. You & your family are in my prayers!

Holy Necro, Batman! This thread is old! But, yeah, there oughta be a law! You should be REQUIRED to hire a guy who just wants to express himself. What could possibly go wrong?

I am doing a story on tattoos and teens - considerations and factors such as this. Would you be willing to talk with me about your story? I am on deadline and looking to wrap up interviews this weekend. Thanks!

originally posted by: prillytee
I am doing a story on tattoos and teens - considerations and factors such as this. Would you be willing to talk with me about your story? I am on deadline and looking to wrap up interviews this weekend. Thanks!

You're on deadline, but your more than four years too late. Look at the date of the first post, then the last one. Good luck.

originally posted by: prillytee
I am doing a story on tattoos and teens - considerations and factors such as this. Would you be willing to talk with me about your story? I am on deadline and looking to wrap up interviews this weekend. Thanks!

I agree with schuyler (doesn't happen much...lol). What's important is that every tat has a story. It just oughtta be a good one.

a reply to: prillytee
Talk with you?

Who, why, how? haha

I already have 2 tattoos. And I'm planning on getting this on my arm inkprofy.com...

a reply to: kyleisboss


Wow! I had a junior member of staff and all the partners got upset when he peroxided his hair. I could not give a flying F**K! He was a great worker who always did the work within the tie allocated and to a high quality. In Short this was no problems for me.


Please do not take offence but sometimes a man has to do what a man has to do. Perhaps if this is a great job you may consider removing the Tats. Perhaps now is not the right time to make a moral stand. I would get a full assurance of work first. Can you get legal advice on this?

Again I am sorry about your situation.