About tattoos?

[Morethanalittlebitconfused]

Before I start I need to say I am quite heavily tattooed myself - albeit in places they can be hidden

I've read an article on Facebook today calling for a law to be passed stating people who are tattooed cannot be discriminated against in the world of work. AIBU to disagree with it?

People commenting on the article, and the article itself, say it's unfair people with neck, face and hand tattoos get turned down from jobs due to 'their expression of their personality' and think it's out dated and draconian that people who are capable of working get turned away

So AIBU to think if you want a professional job you either cover up or don't get tattooed in the first place?

I would employ somebody with facial tatoos. I think it's a sign of an 'open' person.
(Somebody who's face was completely covered on the other hand - I wouldn't employ them as I would think What are they trying to hide.

As long as you can see their face, what does it matter what's on it?

The only issue I have with attoos on the face is that some of the time they are linked to gang violence. I used to live in a pretty scary part of the world and tears next to eyes was a symbol of having a loved one killed and seeking revenge/gotten revenge.
Unfortunately the hipsters have picked up and this and its become kind of cult cool.
I am a tattoo lover however

Some very heavily tattooed and pierced people look rather intimidating as well, so they wouldn't be considered suitable for customer facing work or caring roles for instance, no matter how good they might be at it. It is all about perception.

I disagree with this. I'm a nurse and I've seen my tattooed colleagues win over patients with their empathy and skill just as I've seen nurses turned out like new pins treating patients like dirt and being feared and disliked. When you nurse you put your pin number and the lives of your patients in the hands of the people you work alongside. I know from experience, I'd much rather that was someone who looked like a maniac but was competent and kind that a beautifully presented, incompetent witch. The good people always shine, no matter what they look like. And I hate tattoos :)

It will difficult to police but I don't think it's a bad idea. Yabu op. People get tattoos in their youth often so what after that they are fucked if they want to retrain? I think if someone is good at their job and dressed appropriately for it then I don't care what their skin looks like.

I think society should start to change its views on tattooed people. So many people are tattooed these days, it has to change at some point.

A lot of people still think tattooed people are criminals for eg. This is really outdated now.

I have quite a few arm tattoos (including one on my forearm), a leg tattoo and a few more hidden ones.
Nothing scary about me, I have a degree and run my own business, I have 3DC...

The only time I think tattoos should be taken in to consideration is if they are offensive in some way.

My hands are tattooed, not covered but there is writing on the top of my knuckles and up the side of one hand, I had it done when I was 18 and really regret it for the reasons on this thread. I do get bothered that a poor choice as a teen will affect my employment prospects but I guess that's the choice I made...

As it is, I start college next week doing childcare and early education and the college have said they haven't encountered any problems with tattoos (have to work in nurseries while studying).

Dh has tattoos on both his hands as part of both of his full sleeves but he's in a job where it doesn't matter and he got them after he got the job and knew it was allowed. I've got tattoos but you can only see them if I wear certain things. Tattoos doesn't make you any less qualified for a job so I don't get why people get rejected for having them

I don't understand tattoos. I don't see the appeal (if only from a pain point of view). I don't get them aesthetically because they often clash with each other or what's being worn. I know to some people the ones they have chosen have a specific meaning rather than mere fashion, but I still don't get it. One of my DC's has them, the others don't. And I'm glad they're not visible day-to-day because they would have an impact professionally.

I don't know if attitudes will change towards them, or if in a few years' time the pendulum will swing the other way and people won't want them any more.

And if you can't discriminate against tattoos (impossible to police) then how about piercings? I struggle with those even more.

I do worry about the kids that rock up and get full sleeves in a couple of sittings when they are 19. I'm tattooed, not heavily in comparison to some but to me tattoos should be gained over time.

Tattoos doesn't make you any less qualified for a job so I don't get why people get rejected for having them

Because for people of a certain generation (mine) they have negative connotations. It's only in very recent years that being tattooed has been 'normalised' if you like. So it takes a while for attitudes to change and to see past them.

YABU. The vast majority of people I know have tattoos without it affecting their ability to work in any way.

It's time the Hyacinth Buckets got over themselves.

Personally, I couldn't care less if the Doctor giving me treatment had his entire head covered in tattoos, or if the lawer giving me advice had roses growing up her neck and her hands covered, as long as the tattoos don't say or depict anything offensive, and the person sporting them is clean and tidy, well turned out, it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to me.

I do see that it matters to other people though, and agree that the attitude that they don't fit in a professional environment isn't exactly a secret, therefore people who chose to cover themselves in visible places know that they are generally limiting their options.

Six years ago my brother was considering applying to join the police force. Their rules, as I remember, were that visible tattoos were ok as long as they didn't contain hate speech, or anything religious/racist etc. I don't know if that's still the case, but that sort of ruling makes the most sense to me in jobs in the public eye.

I work an office job where I rarely, if ever, come into contact with members of the public/suppliers/clients. I have one visible tattoo, regularly dye my hair all the colours of the rainbow, wear loom bands (despite being 'too old' for them) and on Fridays, when casual wear is allowed, I'll come in wearing jeans and a geeky t-shirt. None of this affects the quality of my work, and as far as I can tell it doesn't affect the way I work with my colleagues. If any of them don't like my style choices they have kept it very quiet.

If I worked in a different position - more outward facing, for example, I would expect the same to be true. I would expect anyone I worked with to treat me professionally (and I them) and would expect any client or customer to judge me on the basis of my performance, not my outward appearance.

Nanny0gg - I understand what you're saying about there being a generational divide, however I don't think that's a particularly fair or valid justification for having a preconceived negative opinion of someone based solely on the way they choose to represent themselves.

Sorry for the essay - it's a topic close to my heart; I spent a long time after getting my visible tattoo worrying what affect it would have on how people saw me, when I should have been enjoying my new piece of body art.

One last thing - to those of you who think visible tattoos have no place in a professional environment, what do you think of make up? Are there levels of make up that aren't acceptable? I'm not talking full goth, but what if someone came to work made up ready for a night out clubbing; massive falsh eyelashes, very bold lipstick etc, how would you feel about that? Is there some sort of conservative dresscode you would accept? Why?

I understand what you're saying about there being a generational divide, however I don't think that's a particularly fair or valid justification for having a preconceived negative opinion of someone based solely on the way they choose to represent themselves

It probably isn't. I don't especially have a negative opinion of my DC's professional capabilities, but I do, personally, hate tattoos. So that will colour my thinking.

One last thing - to those of you who think visible tattoos have no place in a professional environment, what do you think of make up? Are there levels of make up that aren't acceptable?

Yes, probably. Full on clubbing make-up on a medical professional or solicitor or shop assistant in Sainsbury's (for example) would not be appropriate imo.

I do think it's wrong for people to judge but I can see why they do , I don't think bringing in a law would change anything, if 2 people were applying for a job, one had tatoo's on their neck and hands and one didn't I'm sure a lot of employers would chose the one without ( unless the one with tattoos had a lot more skills to offer ). I have tattoos but they are in places I can cover up, I have a friend who has tattoos on her neck, ears and face ( they are pretty things like butterflies, bumble bees etc, not skulls or snakes ) but I can see people not wanting to employ her if she was going to be working with the public . It is wrong for people to judge but sadly they do and always will.

Blue, that's an interesting question. In my line of work any one coming in for a clinical shift would be asked to remove their jewellery, nail polish and false eyelashes, etc and be in a clean and suitable uniform because of the risk to infection control.
I did once have to ask a bank nurse to take off her false eyelashes and and tie her hair up and I did judge her poorly for coming to work like that, probably more because infection control is so basic to nursing that it made me concerned about what other basic tenets of nursing she didn't get.

Personally cannot understand why people get tattoos. I am of an age where I know a lot of men and women who got tattoos in early adult hood. 30 years on and not one of those tattoos looks like a tattoo. The skin has aged and now they just look like they have smudged blotches on their arms leg etc and when people put weight on they expand. The whole thing looks horrible when tattoos first go on and as you age they become even worse.

Dont get me started on Cheryl Coles bum. My first thought to put it as delicately as I can was the manure to make the roses grow was in exactly the right place.

When I was working I didn't have any problems with my tattoos (I'm about 70% tattooed but all can be covered by 'office' clothing) but found my unnatural hair colour was more of an issue.

Ive never hidden my tats but always made it clear I'm more than prepared to cover them but that's not much you can do about odd coloured hair.

Personally, and I know this is hypocritical, I would struggle to employ someone with facial tattoos - simply because no matter what the design it doesn't look professional or make the person appear approachable. Obviously it depends on the sector they're trying to gain employment but for the most part, it would be a no..

I did see an episode of Snog, Marry, Avoid (v. highbrow, I know) where a trainee solicitor was on getting her look toned down as she went into work every day looking like she was going for a night out- hair extensions, fake tan, eyelashes, platform heels. She admitted herself it wasn't the look she wanted to project to clients, judges, peers, etc. The difference with tats is that you can't just wake up one day and say, "you know what, this isn't me anymore".

I wouldn't have a problem working in a non-customer facing role with someone with tattoos. I would have a problem with hiring someone with neck or hand tattoos in a role where they were meeting customers, clients, suppliers, etc. I don't think that's particularly unusual. So for someone to get very visible work done and then be shocked that this limits their employment options...well, doesn't say much for their decision making skills.

OP I think YANBU. Tattoos aren't like ethnicity or sexual orientation and it's bollocks to talk about 'discrimination': it's not like you get to choose what race you are, or who you fancy, but you absolutely do have a choice about getting a neck tattoo.

If people want to get tattoos fine, that's their choice. But it's also the choice of those around how they want to react to those tattoos. It's totally inappropriate to co-opt the language of identity politics, rights and discrimination to try and police the way people in general react about entirely optional behaviours and appearances.

FWIW one of my juniors loads of tattoos up his arms. I do slightly take the piss cos I think they look a bit silly but don't really care as 1) you can't see them most of the time and 2) I'm more interested in his ability to do his job. But given the choice between two candidates, both equally qualified on paper, one of which interviewed with a visible neck tattoo and the other conventionally dressed and tattoo-free, I would absolutely choose the one without a neck tattoo. I work in a fairly conventional industry where a professional appearance is expected, and think a neck tattoo very clearly states that the wearer is either insensitive to social conventions or doesn't care about them. Neither of these attitudes would encourage me to hire that person.

I'm sure all the tattooed people on this thread will come and shout at me now

The thing is, even if a law were to be passed forbidding employers to discriminate against people with tattoos, it would be difficult to enforce, just like the law 'preventing' discrimination against people for being female, old or disabled. Employers will always choose to employ the person who looks the part.

IMHO I'd advocate only having a tattoo that can easily be hidden. That way, if your career prospects could be compromised by your tattoos, you have the choice of keeping them under wraps.

I have a tattoo myself and am considering getting more done, but I agree, I really don't like neck tattoos at all. They looks but, dare I say, about thuggish. I think if you work in a formal setting such as an office or school, then you need to be prepared to cover them up. A lot of people don't like them and so still judge people on them (which I may have done with the next tattoo comment to be fair....).

I've noticed more and more women getting sleeves done recently . It would be easy to cover them up in the winter, but much harder in the summer when it's warm.