Tattoos in the workplace

[Traitorfish]

OK. But in that case, then choosing to openly wear that tattoo comes with a known set of likely consequences. If you choose to do the crime, then you should be willing to do the time.

Could one not apply the same logic to a Sikh turban, or Jewish skullcap?

 

[DaveShack]

Before every job interview I draw a tattoo on my arm (in permanent marker) in the shape of the company's logo. Then I say it's because it's been my lifelong dream to work there.

Does it work?

 

[Whiskey_Lord]

AFAIK the clothing retailer Hot Topic actually requires its employees to have tattoos and/or piercings.

 

[Cheetah]

Could one not apply the same logic to a Sikh turban, or Jewish skullcap?

Yes, one could. And yes, I do.

Now, what can a Sihk turban or a Jewish skullcap tell us? That the person is relatively strongly religious, probably has conservative values and maybe even that the person has strong views on things like religious rights or the Israel/Palestine conflict.

If any of those things have an effect in the job in question, it will of course be taken into the consideration.

 

[scherbchen]

me, as someone who likes tattoos and has one, I'd like to believe that I would not mind. but I have to agree that location and motif do matter. a swastika on the forehead is not well received. but I'd compare that to showing up naked for the job interview.

now, whether or not I consider it pretty or agree with what it stands for or what stereotype it is associated with ought not to matter unless it is retail/customer-sensible work we are talking about (mind you I might be wrong about my assumptions). in that line of work it might be a boon or an asset. over here we got a three month trial period for new employees (sorta) so if the numbers are abysmal I would most likely end it at the end of that period. no harm, no foul. if said person did okay-ish I'd just go with my gut instinct from there on. either asset due to tattoo and medium/bad worker or detriment but good/excellent employee.

in the end we are just talking about permanent haircuts, though. would you hire somebody whith a raging 80s mullet? surely a hairdo can't be complained about.

 

[Karalysia]

would you hire somebody whith a raging 80s mullet? surely a hairdo can't be complained about.

Iran has an answer to this question

In July 2010, the Islamic regime of Iran issued grooming guidelines to men supplementing the existing modesty stipulations to women. Among the new regulations is a ban of the mullet hairstyle. The ban on mullets is one of the measures that Iran has deployed to "confront the cultural assault by the West". The regime aims to promote a set of new Islamic hairstyles that were unveiled at the Hijab and Chastity Festival of 2010.

Allah be praised!

 

[bhsup]

I'll praise Allah on that one, by George. Mullets suck.

 

[Cutlass]

Could one not apply the same logic to a Sikh turban, or Jewish skullcap?

Certainly. However, first, it would tell you very different things. Unless the person doing the hiring is a bigot. And second, it would be illegal. It is a very different proposition.

The simple truth is, that once the tangible evidence is past, decisions are going to be made on the intangibles.

And there's nothing in the world you can do to stop that.

Several years ago, before the recession started, I applied for a job at Yale University. I didn't get it. But the process was informative. They advertised for people to show up at a certain office at a certain time. I got there, there were at least 30 people in the waiting room. Men and women.

Only a couple were wearing suits. A few more had on sport coats. Others were in shirt and tie, and it went downhill from there.

I had on a suit, and carried my material in a briefcase. Even though 30 odd people were there before me, I was the called in to a back office to sit down privately with a recruiter only a few minutes after I got there.

Now someone else was more qualified, and got the job. But if I had been equally qualified as one of those people who didn't take the time to suit up, then I really think I would have had an advantage.

 

[Traitorfish]

Oh, I'm not arguing any of that. My point was simply that "tattoos can give the wrong impression" is too vague a statement to be of much use in itself, given the entirely undefined nature of "wrong" in that assertion. My example was purely intended to give an example of how "wrongness" in the eyes of a potential employer isn't necessarily in accordance with any reasonably expected societal norm.

Which is why I tend to fall back on the "long-sleeve shirt" rule. If you can hide whatever tattoos you may have with that, then nobody really needs to know about them.

 

[Cutlass]

Sure. If you go on doing so. Easier for men than women, in many cases.

That said, anyone going into a situation, like a job interview, needs to think about the image they present. And when you do something permanent, like a tattoo, you have to accept that your choices might have consequences.

 

[Skwink]

The last option would properly be "Tattoos could hurt Obama politicly."

My PE teacher has a couple tattoos. Not bad ones though.

 

[Perfection]

Does it work?

Not sure, it might just be that I have mad interviewing skillz.

 

[Xanikk999]

If they're a good worker why does it make a difference?

Depends on the job. If its working with customers you don't want an employee to discourage business with crazy tattoos. Working with customers at my job I can tell you some can be very superficial.

 

[Traitorfish]

And, unfortunately, it's the reactionary outliers, not the reasonable moderates, who determine dress codes. Even if 90% of the staff couldn't care less if their waiter had a mohawk, a nose piercing or a forearm tattoo, it's the 10% who make a fuss that get to call the shots.

 

[otago]

I have iwi (tribal) tattoos on my upper arm and shoulder like this
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/legacyga...tooed-sporting-stars.html?selectedImage=78993

But when I see idiots wearing a facial tattoo when it is never been a part of their culture I have to ask why they bother.
Why would whites try and copy some ta moko ?

http://www.digitalus.co.nz/mokomokai/images/moko_cover.jpg

 

[Leifmk]

Am I the only one who thinks that equating the forearm with the head is a little strange?

Yes, it's pretty odd. I've got only one tattoo and it's on the forearm (inside of the wrist). Pretty discreet, I should think; not the same ballpark as having some kind of tribal tattoo (or worse, Nazi heraldry) on the face. And yeah, I'm working in a career-type job with my own office and everything and I certainly do pay taxes. (I do work in IT, though, which means I can go to work in shorts and fluffy bunny slippers and an old Iron Maiden T-shirt, if I want.)

 

[Maniacal]

It depends upon the employer, line of work, clothing, what the tattoo is of, etc etc. My friend has a tattoo on the underside of his left forearm iirc, its of the coast of arms of the soviet union more or less (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_arms_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg). He has to keep it covered while at his current job (Tim Horton's), though his previous jobs were in kitchens (even though the last one was a rather open kitchen in a grocery store deli) he didn't have to keep it covered.

 

[Karalysia]

My friend has a tattoo on the underside of his left forearm iirc, its of the coast of arms of the soviet union more or less

That is awesome. Just awesome.

 

[Patroklos]

Does anyone else find it funny when people who get tattoos to look badass then whine about not being able to get a square job?

 

[Quackers]

Traitorfish your actions have consequences you know. CONFORM