Piercings and tattoos at work

reply to post by Evolutionsend


In that case your employer is just being butt hurt over nothing.

Happens all the time. Some business people are so afraid of loosing clients for trivial reasons they'll do anything.

As well it ads conformity among the staff if the rules are the same for all positions. Considering you're a manager, that would be the only legitimate reason for stopping you.

~Keeper

My ink is out of sight.. and the whole piercing thing just isn't me

I don't like the whole piercing thing at all.. especially with the lengths some people take it to.

Possible problems with employers is something you should take into account before getting work like that done.

reply to post by shadowreborn89


I think you just provided an answer to the question of why? It's the mentality that you just displayed. My body and my expression is more important to me than a job, I can see that yours isn't. That's a real shame, and probably why employers get away with this.

As a person who has both, I understand why people don't like them. My employer does not have rules against them, but I know the owner does not like them. So, I don't wear them to work, and cover my tats. It's called respect. I know this is something that is lacking in the younger generation, but the sooner they figure it out the better. Just because you are into something does not mean others are as well. You have to learn to respect others. It is the "me, me, me" mentality in this country that has us where we are.

reply to post by Evolutionsend

Does anyone else have piercings, or tattoos, or both, that they get a hard time about in the work place?

Yup, but I knew that going in, it was clearly on the contract, no visible tattoos or piercings, only exception is females can keep earings, anything else has to be removed.

Thankfully, I just have a massive leg tattoo, and since most of my job is done at a warehouse, I only need to cover up when working out of the main government office or when "important" people are coming up for training or a walk through.

A friend of mine works at the office down town and has both arms covered in really epic looking sleeves, and she has to keep them completely covered or she'd be sent home on the spot.

reply to post by haarvik


Where does the respect for my choices come into play? Does being the person in charge automatically get you respect from workers? Should it?

If I get up everyday and wear a bunch clothes that I do not like, do my hair in a way that I do not like, spend an hour just to get dressed for my employer, at what point are they disrespecting me and what I'm doing? The way I see it, I'm more than meeting them in the middle on this.

I can't stand the word respect, because it is so often misused in our society. You're using it to define conformity, not actual respect. Real respect is when you look at a person, and you know that they're better than you. Someone worth noticing, and someone worth considering. I do not see very many respectable people in our society. Just a lot of blow hards demanding conformity and worship. A respectable person, is not anyone that ever has to use the word respect, much less walk around thinking, are these people respecting me.

No tattoos or piercings
had no need to *be cool*..

Tattoos are over used today
people get them because *everyone has them*

Not true.

Long hair beard, and piercings can be take care of
easily by shaving hair cut or taking out piercing, but a tattoo is for life
and it makes you more identifiable to police...

I would judge a person by how they perform but this world
does not work that way, the first impression IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
AND IS based on your looks.

reply to post by Evolutionsend


It's your attitude that shows lack of respect.

Respect:
1. A feeling of appreciative, often deferential regard; esteem.
2. The state of being regarded with honor or esteem.
3. Willingness to show consideration or appreciation.

When you fail to show consideration what what your employer values you are showing disrespect.

reply to post by haarvik


If I feel like my employer made an agreement 5 years ago, that they are trying to break right now, then that's a lack of respect on my part? I'd say that's a lack of amicable behavior on their part. Dishonesty, is not respectable.

Btw, my boss has no problem with it. It's another dept head that's about to lose his job. That's not what this thead is about though. This thread is about why we put up with this dribble.

reply to post by Evolutionsend


IN all honesty you put up with it cause you have to. If you'd like to do whatever you want at work, then open a business. Until you do, the people that pay you make the rules while you are at work.

It's sad but it's true. Now I don't know the details of what happened between you and your employer, but I make it very clear to all my employees that company policy can be changed at the drop of a dime in order to satisfy business needs.

Of course I attempt to be as fair and forthcoming as possible, notifying people months in advance of any company policy change. But theses changes happen. You either adapt or you find another place to work that suits your style.

Vote with your skillset. Clearly you'd be of value to another company that may treat you better.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


It's not actually against any dress code changes that I'm aware of. I do not keep them in at work. In my case, it just comes down to a loser slinging mud at me to hide the fact that he can't do his job. I think we as a society have been sleeping too long, and we need to stand up for ourselves on this and other issues.

reply to post by Evolutionsend


Well a personal dispute between you and your superior are something to be taken up with your HR department or various labor organizations.

Retaliation is illegal in most work places.

reply to post by Evolutionsend


You might have, however if you have changed positions since then you may be under new requirements for that position.

It is not tolerated for some of the same reasons smoking is not tolerated. People find it offensive. And, as long as the population at large finds it offensive it will always be regulated by those who do the employing. Of course you are always free to move your employment to another company that doesn't mind it. But good luck finding one. I knew when I got mine that I would not always be able to show them. I knew that up front.

Your employer does not have to respect your dress or attitude. They might respect your work, but that is usually about it. If you were my employee with that attitude, you would not last very long!

i have snake bites an eye brow and gauges and whn i had ajob they always loked at me funny and would yell "TAKE OFF THOSE DAMN LIPRINGS"...

i hated doing it so sometimes i would just wrk so much that they wouldntnotice it, but whn the big bss man came in i took them off.

i have tattoos too but only one stands out (MY HAND, its a dove) no one realy said anything or could cause it means love and PEACE.

i hate when people look at me different cause i have these things, but sometimes i could careless....

likei aways say and want "BE WHO YOU ARE GONNA BE EVEN AT WRK" i dont think tats nor piercings change the job someone is performing at all and thats one thing i really hate

Originally posted by Evolutionsend
reply to post by haarvik

 

If I get up everyday and wear a bunch clothes that I do not like, do my hair in a way that I do not like, spend an hour just to get dressed for my employer, at what point are they disrespecting me and what I'm doing?

They are not disrespecting you - they are enforcing a dress code. If you do not like it I would suggest finding an employer who thinks the way you do.

Not all businesses are forward thinking and many people still judge you based upon what you look like rather than the quality of work you produce. I'm a "large" chap and you would be amazed by how many people assume I am lazy when in fact I put in the most hours per week and have personally saved the current project on more occasions than I now care to remember!

Liq.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


He's on equal footing with me, and is trying to apply leverage to my boss, saying that I'm not following the rules "in spirit". The rules say no facial jewelry, and I go to work just like that, without the jewelry. He's saying the holes are unsightly and that "knowing it's there out of work", is just as bad as wearing it too work. I should probably talk to my boss about this, but the whole trend in society is just silly to me.

Some companies may have this policy, not because they dislike tattoos, but some people get really stupid and or offensive things. Rather than deal with each tattoo, they simply put a ban on all tattoos. Piercings as someone mentioned before, are more of a health related issue, depending on the industry you work in.

Personally I love tattoos, I'd hope so, as I'm a tattoo artist, and I own a studio. Now if you want to talk about ridiculous, there's a shop in my area that doesn't allow their artists to have face or neck tattoos. Might freak out the little 18-year-olds who come in for the "lucky charms" tattoos... hearts, stars, and horseshoes.

reply to post by haarvik


I am 100% compliant with company policy, to the letter. It does not prohibit the piercing, only the jewelry. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have gotten my job.

I will say I think it'll be accepted more and more as time goes by. .. generational sorta thing I guess.

reply to post by Evolutionsend


Yeah,i work part time in a leisure centre and although pretty lax they are hammering down on appearance lately even fr coming in with stubble,they say "employees must be clean shaven unless growing a beard,which they must let the manager know about"....complete bs when you can have a beard but no stubble???

And outside of work i am studying motorcycle maintenance and repair at my local college,rules are mega strict for health and safety,so jewellery on the hands is a massive no.I agree with no piercings when it is relevant in a workshop for health and safety reasons,but provided tats arent obnoxiously in your face then i dont see the problem