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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 19999
[Civil]
Date Posted:
9/7/2008
9:19:54 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 7,747
RSS: 16,480
Comments: 25
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Many Employers Prohibit Visible Tattoos And Body Piercings On The Job
Author: Jesse Fruhwirth Source: Standard-Examiner
Title: MANY EMPLOYERS PROHIBIT VISIBLE TATTOOS AND BODY PIERCINGS ON THE JOB
At the counter of Lucky Bamboo Tattoo stood a woman with a fresh business-ready haircut, modest makeup, a Sesame Street diaper bag, smart jeans, a conservative shirt and a wide-eyed baby on her hip. She said she's the kind of woman who wants it all: the kids, the career, the tongue piercing.
The 23-year-old Kaysville receptionist, also tattooed on the back of her neck and back, was told by her boss to get rid of her tongue piercing, or at least use a clear glass piece of jewelry to fill it.
She says her boss's request is petty.
"Just because you have tattoos or piercings doesn't mean you can't do your job," said the woman, who asked that her name not be used for fear her boss might be offended.
The woman's employer actually is more lenient than many.
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Community Thoughts: There are 25 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Ok, Here We Go Again | Sep 10th. at 2:15:07 pm EDT
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Shadowbear (Hillsboro, Oregon) - Email Me
When did she get the tats &/or piercings? Before or after her employment? Did she hide them at the interview?
To me, this is where it comes in - is she coming to work as the person presented at her job interview or did she suddenly appear with piercings & tats? If she showed her body art at the interview then shame on her boss for now asking her to remove or cover it. If he/she thought a person was hired without piercings or tats and suddenly, there she was w/steel and art - then they can ask her to appear as she did for the interview.
Simple concept - if you make it clear how you intend to appear from the get-go then they have no complaint if you appear as you always have.
If you interview with a delecate pair of pearl studs in your earlobes, no visible tats and your normal-colored hair in a bun (assums female here) then you should not be shocked when your employer is put off by the studded dog collar, safety pins through various places and bright orange hair - with obvious body art. What you see should be what you get.
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| Inherent Legal And Social Conflict | Sep 10th. at 12:26:50 pm EDT
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Terry (Irvington, Virginia) - Email Me
Tat's and piercings, or other body mods, are rightfully illegal for schools or employers to censor.
Most state and local laws based on xtian bible dogma that used to ban or heavily restrict businesses offering such services have now been repealed or overturned, but there's still a bit more work overdue in that arena. With that historic basis for oppression of such body modifications, it's clearly a religious issue employers and government institutions cannot legitimately regulate without running afoul of individual Free Exercise rights, or imposing discriminatory prejudice based policies based on artifacts of other people's religions.
That certainly can result in a conflict when some customers or voters retain the prejudices illegal for government and quasi-government business to favor. However, it's no different than a sign saying "no niggers" when a public accommodation nudist resort has a policy of no piercings below the neck, and no different than pre-19th amendment suffrage denial when a policy of ear piercings only allowed for females exists. Observers are free to not like their neighbors, but a business or school has no legal authority to discriminate in hiring or student censorship to cater to prejudices and bigotry that result in illegal discrimination.
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| Employers | Sep 9th. at 9:46:58 pm EDT
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Skye Reigh (SLO, California) - Email Me
I work in a physician's office, while our physicians do not frown upon it. They ask that an employee cover their art work or remove piercings because it may be offensive to their patients.
Would your 80 or 90 year old grandmother feel comfortable with a male medical assistant standing over her with a skull and cross bone tattoo? My grandmother probably wouldn't. Same would have to be said about body piercings.
Maybe in 20-30 years from now the work place will change and be more accepting but for now...
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| Tatts=Rebels? | Sep 9th. at 5:24:02 pm EDT
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Zorba (Monterey, California) - Email Me
Why is there so much talk about tatts, piercings, etc. being "rebellious". Not necessarily true - but more importantly SO WHAT IF IT IS? Seems to be yet another artifact of our Christian dominated culture - they're the ones that "go on about" rebellion...
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| Food Industry.......... | Sep 9th. at 1:11:16 pm EDT
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Thorin (Newaygo, Michigan) - Email Me
When you work in the food industry, you should not be allowed to wear any sort of "Body Jewelry".....JMO. Tats, depeneding on your work environment, should be allowed. Depends on your level of Professionalism.......if you are a banker, lawer, teacher, doctor......or anything like that.......you will have to cover them.
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| I Cover Mine | Sep 9th. at 10:05:34 am EDT
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Cindy Marcelle (Belvidere, Vermont) - Email Me
As a late 20-something, I have a bunch of ink. When I got in for a job interview, I cover my arm with the most up and put my best face forward. After a while of "proving" I can do the job I'll start to push the sleeves up or wear short sleeved shirts. A lot of employers aren't happy that they've hired me but once they can see I can do the job my ink isn't as big a deal.
I think employment standards are going to change - esp. when the 20-somethings (and younger) are heading up the game.
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| ... | Sep 9th. at 8:33:00 am EDT
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
A company who relies on how good their indentured servan...err, "employees" look must be desperate for business. I mean, they're selling other people's _looks_.
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| Tattoos And Piercing On The Job... | Sep 8th. at 9:43:17 pm EDT
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wanderer36 (Rice Lake, Wisconsin) - Email Me
I know that a lot of people are against covering up their artwork and stuff but you have to understand that it's all about image for a lot of companies- how you present yourself physically to the customers has to do with what these employers consider professionalism. It sucks, but nevertheless, there it is...
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| 13th Amendment? | Sep 8th. at 8:14:28 pm EDT
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Medea (Somewhere, Massachusetts) - Email Me
"If you have a tattoo that's not on your face, neck or hands, that's fine. When you work, you cover it," Johnson said. "When you go home, if you want to put an earring in, that's fine, but when you're working, you're working for us."
And people are only on the job for a portion of their day. They live their lives around it. Jobs aren't considered permanent anymore, either. So what's the deal?
Since when did employers become "Owners" of their employees? Slavery alive and well? Petty dictatorship in action based on "perceptions" about people with tats? More control freak - ism coming to a workplace near you. Bah.
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| Tatt's And Metal | Sep 8th. at 2:09:51 am EDT
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Katmandu (elba, Alabama) - Email Me
"The woman's employer actually is more lenient than many."
She's kinda lucky. Many employers would require she not even wear a clear tongue placer. Me? I don't really give a rat's hind end if someone wears tatt's and metal head to toe. What matters to me is that the person can do the job.
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| Its Not News It's The Standard.net | Sep 8th. at 12:47:08 am EDT
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David Eagan (Cleveland, Wisconsin) - Email Me - Web
I find myself wondering why we are giving so much web traffic to a fluff article in some local newspaper just for the chance for a portion of the community to get up on a soapbox about prejudice regarding tattoos.
As witches we should be more cognizant of the fact that all culture is an affectation and all clothing and appearance choices are costumes. Some are appropriate for the place and time and some are not and its all a game. Why get upset at the game? Because "they" are oppressing you with what they deem to be appropriate? Isn't the obstinate refusal to play along just harming ones self? Shouldn't magic workers be able to seamlessly move from one situation to the next without missing the beat and always be able to blend in to the scene? Why should MIT reality hackers be better at being social chameleons than witches?
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| I'll Never Understand | Sep 7th. at 11:21:32 pm EDT
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Ander s. Drake (hays, Kansas) - Email Me
why it is that authority figures feel a need to control people's rights to individual expression . I believe there was an article about first amendment rights in high schools this week also. Many employers seem to feel a need to assimilate their employee's to fit into a image deemed acceptable to them and any customers. That often means people for forty or more hours a week are forced to conform for sake of making a living. Often people with tattoos are targeted by employers or customers for persecution. I have personal witness coworkers who were harassed by customers until our employer fired them for some other reason. I heard the customers say that tattoo's were dirty, unclean, or that they though they could get sick from them. I know there are certain risks involved with getting a tattoo but as some one who likes art i have always thought they were beautiful. but lets face the truth about those people who do not like tattoo's; tattoo's were used by many cultures that were polytheistic. Going all the way back to the old testament there are promotions against body mod. in the Judeo-christian bible; which is a generally the mainstream voice in the United States.
Leviticus 19:28 "You may not make cuts in your flesh in respect for the dead, or have marks printed on your bodies: I am the Lord." ( [Web LINK] ) the way i see it most of the complains spring from a religious foundation. Whither the customers realized it or not they are complaining because some one else has violated one of their religious taboos. So now employers are enforcing religious beliefs of mainstream society. That;s some thing their not suppose to do.
Light and Dark Blessings
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| This... | Sep 7th. at 8:56:10 pm EDT
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Corax (Glendale, Arizona) - Email Me
is a societal prejudice, not a reasonable or logical one. Tats don't mean a thing IMO, (with the obvious exception of the gang-related kind) except the deeper personal meaning to the wearer alone.
I personally don't have any, but this is mainly due to the fact that I know myself well enough that I would eventually get tired of them and have one heck of a time getting them lasered off.
We can put a man on the moon; WHY can't some scientist come up with a good TEMPORARY tattoo; one that fades completely away after 6 or 8 months? Then one would have the freedom to make it permanent, or, get something new, or just not get any more.
Any scientists out there willing to take this on?
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| The Only Difference ... | Sep 7th. at 7:07:51 pm EDT
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cher cunningham (Vincennes, Indiana) - Email Me
between a tattooed person and a non-tattooed person is that the tattooed person doesn't care if you're tattooed or not.
About piercings: I'd MUCH rather see a lip, nose, eyebrow piercing than a band-aid covering one. Blechhh!!!
Cher
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| So Much Depends On The Job | Sep 7th. at 6:04:04 pm EDT
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Aidan Odinson (Collingdale, Pennsylvania) - Email Me
Take, for example, the job of a receptionist or a sales clerk. Visible tatoos or piercings might not be acceptable to someone working at a law firm, a bank, or a place that sells formal wear. On the other hand, places involved in more creative pursuits might actually prefer it.
One of the unwritten rules that I used to hear was that you will rarely have a problem if you dress like your boss (the only problem being the case of bosses who are problems to their bosses) .
It all depends on where you work, the work being done there, and the work you do.
If I were to visit a law office, and then go to the office of an indie music producer, I would expect to see the same quality of work to be done, but would not be surprised at seeing an entirely different decorum in the office and the people doing the work.
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