Piercings and tattoos at work

reply to post by Evolutionsend


The video's shown in the 70's show them as a tool for the wicked. Anyone with tats or piercing's is a bad person. That is what the social norm is and has been.

Edit: Just wanted to add that people with tats and piercings are usually aggressive in nature.. Or perhaps they were bullied as kid's and obtain a tat or piercing to show how mean they can be also... I don't know? They are TABOO right? The Chinese use tats as a symbol of strength and power. African tribes use piercings to show dedication to their gods. You know. I do not like this thread anymore.. Mind you this is coming from someone who has neither a tat or a piercing.

The business place is a conservative setting. Just like low cut blouses and mini skirts were frowned upon in the work place before the fad of tattoos and piercings.

When your dealing with the general public, whether you like it or not, people are judged by how they look. Your representing the company and it's public image.

You're not dealing with just people in your generation. There are generations before you who frown upon tattoos, piercings, colored hair and Gothic attire. Companies can lose business just because customers may not be comfortable dealing with someone with outrageous attire, tattoos and piercings.

Most people would question having brain surgery if the doctor who was to perform the surgery showed up with tattoos and piercings in their lips. The doctor may be the brightest neurosurgeon in the city, but he doesn't project that "professionalism" most people expect from their doctors.



It really comes down to common sense and acting professional in the work place. If you notice that you're offending people because of it, you should try to hide your tattoos and remove your piercings. It could be a distraction around your fellow employees and the general public you come into contact with.

I'm an employer and I could care less.

What is more interesting to me is why people want to mutilate themselves for a passing fad? You ever seen what tattoos do as you get older? You ever seen what piercings look like after years of heavy objects?

A few years from now there will be a new fad and you will be out of fashion in a way you can't fix easily.

The tattoos and piercings are to draw attention to yourself, don't be surprised it's often negative. They are not that popular. Look around yourself when you are at place with lots of people like a big box store and you will not see very many with piercings and just a few more with visible tattoos if any at all. I suspect if everyone had them, you would not? Did you not get them to be different?

What gets to me the most on this issue is people who let kids get them. No young person is wise enough to make a permanent decision like that. With adults, who cares?

Now if you want to talk about people too lazy to pull their pants up In particular older people trying to be trendy.

As to your employer, it's up to them. If it has a negative impact on their ability to make a profit, they don't have a real choice. In the end as an employer you must have employees compatible with you and each other. I've had to let people go who could do their jobs but who caused so much trouble in the office it did not matter anymore. You know, loudmouth me, me, me people who do nothing but complain and act negative all the time. Can't have that in a small office.

Look at your employers customers. How many of them have piercing and visible tattoos? If it's none or almost none, you should be reasonable about it. How you going to get a raise if you cause less income?

Originally posted by SelfSustainedLoner
reply to post by Evolutionsend

 

The video's shown in the 70's show them as a tool for the wicked. Anyone with tats or piercing's is a bad person. That is what the social norm is and has been.

Edit: Just wanted to add that people with tats and piercings are usually aggressive in nature.. Or perhaps they were bullied as kid's and obtain a tat or piercing to show how mean they can be also... I don't know? They are TABOO right? The Chinese use tats as a symbol of strength and power. African tribes use piercings to show dedication to their gods. You know. I do not like this thread anymore.. Mind you this is coming from someone who has neither a tat or a piercing.

edit on 14-11-2011 by SelfSustainedLoner because: (no reason given)

Must depend on where you're raised. Or the region you're living in.
It also depends on the tattoo. If a woman has a rose on her shoulder, that's far from aggressive. My daughter in law just got a bunch of work on her upper arm, it's covered all the way around with flowers. She has nothing aggressive. Another friend of hers, a very beautiful quiet girl, has 3 small birds flying on the side of her neck. And it's a very tasteful, beautiful piece of artwork, and doesn't make her look tough in any way.

Sometimes, it's nice artwork, and/or memories. I've seen pics of women's children tattooed on them.

It's sad that society is still so judgmental.
Even if a person doesn't have tattoos or piercings, they will still be judged by something else.

reply to post by WeRpeons


That guy looks familiar! Thank you for your contribution. Now go read the thread.

Here's something to chew on based on what you just said though. What if an overly conservative employer is in a liberal part of the country and finds that forced conformity has the opposite affect on business?

Unless you're an entrepreneur or at the pinnacle of your career, you have to put things into perspective and prioritize accordingly.

Is your career worth losing for your piercings? Or should you lose the piercings to have a career?

You may think you are entitled to both, but life is not fair. These are the choices we must make sometimes to become the men and woman we will be.

I have many tattoos, including the back of my neck, my entire back and my right arm that are somewhat noticable depending on my outift. My facial piercings were gone years ago. My job is pretty high-up, junior executive. I don't receive backlash at all. I believe because I do a tremendous job, give blood sweat and tears to my work and present myself with professionalism and integrity. Basically, I've made myself an accet to the company. Tattoos, pink hair and all. Not saying that you haven't, this is purely justification for my apperance.

I believe you are putting too much of your energy into a non-debate. I'd stop focusing so much on an employee's right to display body art. The employer also has rights and unless they are discriminating against you for religious beliefs, sexual orientation, sex or age, I'd say your SOL.

Focus your energy on something that is more fruitful and beneficial. Such as, trying to solve the obvious tension between you and your co-worker. To me it sounds like this person may not like you for some reason and maybe trying to throw you under the bus with management.

You said that you had the same body art when you were hired five years ago and until recently it was a non-issue. There's a pretty good chance that it is not as much your employer's change of heart as it is your co-worker's feelings towards you. Get to the bottom of that and your issues may be solved.

I also agree that your co-worker is making a fool of themesleves by focusing on something so petty. But if they are acting so childish after such a short tenure, I have a feeling their time could be limited with your company.

Good luck and stay strong. Never let them see you sweat!

If you owned a business, would you want to hire any of these people? Unless you own a tattoo business, these people have pretty much caused themselves to become unemployed.

reply to post by Blaine91555


An attractive gentlemen in a very nice suit comes to my work often. He's a BMW owner, and loves tattoos. He has one visible on the side of his neck, and plugs in his ears. Look around you, closely. It's everywhere buddy, you're just overlooking it. I will even go as far to say that I meet more people with tattoos or piercings, than I do without. Not all of them are visible, but it's nothing to see 2-3 visible in a public room, and I live in a conservative area!

reply to post by WeRpeons


They all have managed to find a job, or they wouldn't have been able to afford all that ink.

reply to post by WeRpeons


Yeah, that's a little overboard

individualism is a disease

reply to post by Evolutionsend

Here's something to chew on based on what you just said though. What if an overly conservative employer is in a liberal part of the country and finds that forced conformity has the opposite affect on business?

Than the owner would have to conform accordingly if he's losing business. It really depends upon what type of product or service you're selling. Most companies whether their in a liberal part of the country or not, have a set of demographics they want to market to, and a company image they want to convey to the public. That includes the way their employees represent themselves to the public.

reply to post by WeRpeons


What should/would eventually happen if the majority of the country felt that overzealous conformity was a problem, and that modest piercings and tattoos were acceptable?

reply to post by snowspirit

Yeah, that's a little overboard

Enough to scare the hell out of you if you were working late at night and walked into one of these guys down a hallway.

I have noticed more and more people lately that are new employees of places that I go to often, like gas stations, (the inside store clerk job), and another drive through espresso place...

This says to me that maybe a lot of employers are loosening up a lot on the tats and piercing thing..

Both of the ones I saw recently were very attractive women, heh... Maybe their employer overlooked it because of their good looks, wouldn't be the first time.. The gas station clerk had 2 rings in her lip and very heavy tattoos on both her arms, totally covered in tatoos, which surprised me because I have never seen a very pretty woman with very heavy tattoos combined with lip piercings... (I don't live in a big city, which might explain that).

(everyone except me has tattoos at my place of employment), guess I'm the odd one

I used to be an employer of 10 in the '80's, and never cared if someone had tattoos or piercings, but I can see why it would be unacceptable in certain jobs..

Like one poster mentioned about getting an operation done in a hospital, and how you would feel if the surgeon came in sporting a few facial piercings and tattoos everywhere... That would definitely freak me out...

reply to post by Evolutionsend


The problem is, it's not a majority and chances are it's only a fad just like bell bottoms and platform shoes. The only problem I see is this "fad," for the most part, is permanent.

Kids in high school will get tattoos based upon what they think is cool at their particular age. When they mature and are in their late 20's, 30's, 40's or 50's, are they still going to want to have those same "cool" tattoos on them? I already know people who have just small tattoos who wish they never got them. People change and so do their likes and dislikes.

reply to post by WeRpeons


Read the post above your own, and start watching more closely. Tattoos are not as obvious as you may think. Start counting how many have visible ones, and how many do not. Ask the people you work with. I'll bet the majority has one that you do not know about, and would express the desire to have some more. If this thread has shown anything, it's that many of you like them, but are not willing to stand up for having them, and piercings.

Old tattoos have the potential to have retro value, which is another fast growing trend in our society. We'll just have to wait and see how long it takes for the current young generation to regret them. Many of us have them, and based on that things will change regarding it. As long as we remember to stand up for ourselves and define our country as we see fit.

reply to post by Blaine91555


My thoughts exactly! The sagging pants fad has gone on far too long. I remember pants sagging was popular back in the early 90's! I have to say the pants sagging is one of the most ridiculous fads I've seen in my life time. Most fads last about 10 years, but lately it's taking the younger generations longer to realize that eventually they have to grow up.