Tattoos in the Workplace More Accepted

Body Art on the Job Less Often a Deterrent

Are more individuals sporting permanent body art, tattoos and piercings in the workplace? These may no longer be the employer deterrent they once were.

Research shows that "23 percent of college students have one to three tattoos and 36 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds have tattoos." Given these statistics, employers are finding themselves forced to choose between turning down inked employees or having a meager job candidate pool.

Origin of the Word Tattoo

Humans have tattooed themselves since the Neolithic times (10,700 to 9400 BC) as a form of self-expression, ritual, or cultural beliefs. Coming from the Polynesian word "ta," which means to strike, and the Tahitian word "tatau," which means "to mark something," the earliest evidence of tattooing is thought to have originated in ancient Greece and Rome.

Credentials Trump Tattoos

Today, everyone from teens to soccer moms and doctors sport their own ink designs. "This year the first wave of Baby Boomers will be retiring and that is changing the demographics of leadership and management" said Claire Vuillemot, a tattoo artist at Fun City Tattoo. Vuillemot goes on to explain that she has tattooed people from almost every profession and walk of life.

If a prospective employee maintains an otherwise professional image and attitude, an employer is now more likely to judge him or her on credentials alone. Many companies have realized that embracing those who wear tattoos can appeal to that portion of their customer base.

LA Ink

Reality TV shows such as TLC's LA Ink staring the heavily tattooed artist Kat Von D have shone a spotlight on the art. The series follows Von D and her staff of talented tattoo artists at High Voltage Ink as they learn the personal significance of their client's body art. The show had the highest-rated series premiere in the history of TLC among adults 18-34, with a rating of 2.6 and a viewer count of 1.5 million. In an exclusive interview with Maxim, Von D claims she wants to "break the mould, especially for women" and "views the practice as an art form".

Compromising on "No Tattoo" Policy

Although some companies still stand by their strict "No tattoo" policy, claiming that they are unprofessional and stereotypically affiliated with criminals, many others are altering their policy. Large corporations such as Starbucks are compromising by allowing employees to have tattoos, as long as they do their best to cover them in a professional manner so they are more subtle.

While not everyone agrees that body art is for the workplace, especially in corporate or customer service environments, the progress that has been made over the past five years has been significant. Companies are being challenged to evolve with the generations and hire the most qualified candidate, despite their ink.

Advice for the Inked on the Job

• Keep a professional image. Respecting the office workplace and following dress codes will help override the stigma of tattoos.
• Present the employer with an impressive resume and be sure to conduct yourself professionally at any interview.
• Even if your tattoos are visible, the workplace is not an appropriate place to "show them off."