The Tattooed Lady and Man were side show attractions at the carnival, but now they share your cubicle at work. Are they in compliance with the Human Resource dress code policy? With increased popularity of tattoos, companies are rewriting dress and grooming policies to control/limit tattoo exposure in the workplace.
The tattoo
industry is booming with customers from tweens to golden agers. And, prisoners to politicians proudly sport
their art. But in the workplace, visible tattoos can be problematic for the subject matter, messages, and grotesque images.
Of course,
from a distance, some art looks like a disease or skin lesion. Others look like
the work of a preschooler. Worst of all, much of what is tattooed is
distracting, unappetizing, unappealing, vulgar and offensive thereby the need
for HR to add grooming codes to the dress code policy.
During the interview process, employers can ask prospective employees if they have tattoos that would be visible in clothing that they would wear on the job. It is best to answer yes if you do.
A man I met
while having my car serviced told me he just finished a sales job interview
where they asked the tattoo question. I said, “I hope you told them you have
tribal art from your shoulder to your mid-upper arm.” He was shocked I knew he had a tat because he
thought no one could see it under his white long-sleeve dress shirt. He
admitted to the interviewer that he had one and the interviewer noted it on the
application. He was not happy to know he would have to wear an undershirt with
sleeves to conceal it under his dress shirts.
Every tattoo
has a special significance to the bearer unless you were in a drunken stupor
and someone else chose the subject. They commemorate an event, honor a loved
one, connect you to a group, express rebellion or whimsy. For some it’s merely
self-expression. Many are the result of a dare or impulse and little thought is
given to future implications and limitations.
We at What
To Wear To Work have heard heart wrenching stories of regret and remorse.
One woman
with a green serpent tattoo wrapped around her ankle and down her foot asked me if
this would hinder her corporate advancement. “Yes,” I assured her. Since
removal was cost prohibitive with no guarantees, she wrapped an Ace bandage around
her foot and ankle for 18 months to conceal this tat. She was wearing socks
when she got this in college and didn’t think about the impact on her career.
Most college
students don’t think long-term about this decision because they see athletes,
celebrities, TV personalities, and musicians flaunting their tats. People of
all ages are getting permanent art. They are tattooed on the neck, back, chest,
arms, head, legs, feet and areas in between. Who knew there would be more ink
on their bodies than in a trainload of Bic pens?
Wake up!
These people are in sports and entertainment! They are not making presentations
to stockholders, customers, buyers, decision makers, etc. They don’t follow corporate dress codes.
Men and
women in food service, health care, and other professions are required to wear
removable opaque sleeves to cover arm-length tattoos. Even the military has a policy prohibiting tattoos that are “extremist, indecent, sexist or racist” (Army Regulation 670-1). Companies are listening
to their customers’ complaints and mandating steps to deal with dress code
violations. Also, there are health implications for women who have tats on
their backs when it comes time for epidurals during childbirth.
Whenever I
am asked what I think of someone’s tat I tell them “it’s too late for my
opinion.”
All choices
we make have consequences—some good and some bad. Our goal is to avoid the bad
ones. Getting tattooed is a decision
that is permanent and often times the consequence is: a lost opportunity, a negative first
impression, a conclusion that you are uneducated, assumption that you have poor
judgment, and a host of other career halting consequences.
Think about
your decision to get tattooed and how you may be excluded from corporate
business opportunities by being included in a special section of the HR dress
code policy. The Tattooed Lady and Man are no longer side show
attractions; they are your co-workers.