Tattoos / Protected Speech

While I don't have any problems with tattoos, I certainly don't think it's involvement in hiring practices has anything to do with free speech.

If it can hurt business, that's the bottom line. You wouldn't hire someone that would say things to make potential customers uncomfortable, so why should an employer be forced to take that risk with body art.

I don't things have changed so much that someone with full sleeves/neck tattoos/etc wouldn't turn away a fair amount of customers at certain types of stores. I'm sure someone will get high and mighty that it's not the tattoo wearers fault that people unfairly judge them because of their ink, but that doesn't mean it's not true.

A group tackled this subject as a project in a business communication class I took last quarter. I got nothing out of their project other than a guy with sleeves can understand the objection. I'm sure it was my selective conservative hearing.

usafpilot07 wrote: Its not as if free speech itself doesn't have limits anyways(and, for the record, I don't think the hiring practices issue is necessarily a free speech one anyways). I mean, where would you be allowed to draw the line for tattoos? Only words that are allowed on TV? No swear words? What about workforces that have uniform requirements?

I have tattoos on my arms. I'm working on a sleeve on my right arm, and I have long hair and beard combo. Funny thing is, I work with elderly people in a dental office. My employer wasn't crazy about my hair or beard, but I've proved his initial impression wrong by being one of the best employees he has. He has no idea of my tattoos, but I've often wondered if/when I ran into him in public, if his opinion of me would change. I would hope we're past or nearly past the days where any of that stuff matters. The beard I was practically born with and my own mother wouldn't recognize me. If i chopped it and my hair I'd be single again (hmm.. kidding), and the tattoos I got simply because the subject is something I really enjoy and I don't think my passion for it will ever diminish.

The key is what's on the inside. And in terms of the work place, it's about ethic and morals. If you're a fantastic employee with an orange mo-hawk and more piercings in your face than you have fingers on your hands that's just fine in my book. I've seen the clean cut professional look slack off and not give two **edited**s about his job or clientele. It's all about the individual, and it's up to the employer to find the right people no matter what they look like, male or female, black, white, green or purple.

At the end of the day, opinions are like assholes; everyone has one. And that's fine, as long as everyone gets a chance to do their best - whatever the outcome.

I think you're seeing more and more people come to accept tattoos in the workplace. I see guys in their business attire in the summertime with their Oxford sleeves rolled up showing ink on their arms and nobody gives them a second glance. My brother in law has a phoenix on his calf that goes from knee to ankle and he's an administrator at Wake Forest hospital system ER. He's wearing long pants at work, so nobody really gives a crap. Even in restaurants, so long as it's covered, we really don't care if servers have the, even then, if it's a matter of your shirt riding up and you seeing the half-sleeve some guy has, or the ankle or tramp-stamp some girl has, nobody seems to notice anymore. I think that the stigma died the moment they became popular with the college crowd and everyone and their brother got a tribal/chinese symbol/whatever inked on them for the hell of it.

Now, there are still some taboos that are going to take a long time to work their way into polite society. Neck and facial tattoos are still pretty much no-nos if you want a high level job. Also, the better the ink, the more acceptable it is. Your prospective employer may dig the History of Ireland band you have around your bicep, but they aren't going to go for some sloppy looking crap scrawled on your hands/knuckles.

That said, I think I'm going to go get some more work done for my birthday. Been wanting the family coat of arms on my left shoulder for some time.

I'm not understanding how hairs can be split with sleeves are ok but neck tattoos no.

It just kind of seems like arguing against what is being supported in favor of.

Lightningbolt wrote: I'm not understanding how hairs can be split with sleeves are ok but neck tattoos no. It just kind of seems like arguing against what is being supported in favor of.

It's, imho, the difference between being slightly intoxicated and throwing up on the dance floor. One is fun and adds to the life of the party, the other not so much.

I don't have anything against sleeves or whatever, they just aren't for me. I prefer individual, separate tattoos. I think whole masses of tattoos just look like a mess. But I won't deny you employment based on it.

This it's what I'm hearing; you can drink jack daniels but not jim beambecause I don't like jim beam

Even if it's just a tiny star I find tattoos repulsive.

Edited by Lightningbolt - 02 October 2012 at 7:48am

Free speach etc. aside employers will hire or not hire whoever they see fit. It's not like they have to give a reason or anything. When I was hiring, I passed over a few people for reaons that are technically illegal, but that's the way it is. I also could apply at Victorias Secret every day for the rest of my life and would doubtlfully ever get hired because of my age and sex, but who's really going to call them out on that? Discrimination will always exist in the workplace as long as people do the hiring.  I don't really care much about tattoos and would have no problem hiring someone with tattoos on normal areas, but most likely wouldnt hire someone with facial tattoos. I also wouldn't hire someone who wanted to dress like a vampire or wear tutus every day at work.