Anti Tattoo Discrimination In The Workplace

In the United States, 45 million people have at least one tattoo. They are becoming increasingly more common in western societies. While people get tattoos for many different reasons, some of the common reasons to get inked are to show memory of a loved one, as a way to show self-expression, to represent overcoming obstacles, or for cultural reasons. Despite the fact tattoos are on a rise, there are still many who negatively stereotype the people who have them. They are often put into the category of being less intelligent or uneducated, rebellious and immature, and ultimately unprofessional. Yet most of the people who get tattoos see them as an art form that allows for a more everlasting form of self-expression that a special meaning to them. …show more content…
Jon Kelly, in his BBC article, should anti-tattoo discrimination be illegal, discusses this very question by sharing others experiences of people who have lost their jobs due to their tattoos. The main argument in his article is that “if someone can do a job, they should be equal with the next person…” Because there are many countries in which tattoos are not protected by job discrimination laws, there are numerous petitions that are being organized to protect the people with tattoos and piercings from losing their jobs. In the LinkedIn article, Tattoos in the workplace, are they really taboo in 2015, by Sally Pearman, the view of tattoos in the workplace are further argued. She asks the question: “Does having a tattoo or piercing really impact your value as an employee?” She states that even though more people are becoming accepting of tattoos, there is still a certain hesitation that people have in how others would view their character. She also says that with the shift in workplace self-expression, it would be better to judge people bases on their performance on work rather than the way they express themselves through tattoos and/or piercings. According to the Forbes Contributor, Rachel Hennessey, in her article, Tattoos No Longer A Kiss Of Death In The Workplace, more contemporary companies are becoming more open about tattoos. She includes what John Challenger, a CEO of a consulting firm, …show more content…
Juan Henao, a staff writer for the Daily Collegian for Penn State, gives his opinion in his article, My View: Tattoos Are Unprofessional, that they make a person look unprofessional due to the stigma of them still in our culture. Tattoos are essentially permanent since tattoo removal is more expensive than the tattoo itself, and even then some colors cannot be fully removed. With so many other ways to show self-expression, why do so in a permanent way that you may end up regretting later? With the stigma surrounding tattoos, the first instinct of many, he argues is to see and judge that person as unprofessional. This idea of unprofessionalism of tattoos is expanded upon in Huffington Post article, The Professional Prejudice Against Tattoos, by Madison Hamilton, a student at the University of Texas. In this article, she explains the stereotype of tattoos, from 66% of inmates having tattoos to the permanent inking of the skin. In comparison to other forms of body modification, such as implants, injections, and piercings, tattoos are still seen as trashy and unprofessional. For the people who are turned down from jobs due to their tattoos, their physical appearance was more important, mainly due to the fact that they would be working with customers and other people who may not approve of tattoos. In Matt Scott’s article, Tattoos in the