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Anyone been discriminated for having tattooes?

C

Croc

Banned
I'm interning at a Fortune 100 insurance company this summer and I was 100% expecting to have to cover my tattoos and hide my piercings (septum) but they were totally fine with it and even encouraged me to "be myself" when I asked HR.

Granted I'm working in IT so I'm not really dealing with customers but I'm still surprised.
 
S

SJurgenson

Banned
What ideal or message is so important to you to drastically harm your employment prospects at any job better than Starbucks barista?

Visible tattoos are unprofessional, full stop.

You don't get to claim 'discrimination' for not getting a job due to your unprofessional appearance. You might as well claim discrimination after wearing a sweat-stained 'Female Body Inspector' T-shirt to a office job interview.
 
T

The Greek Freak

Member
At my old job where I was the first line past online submissions in terms of staffing I 100% did when the tats were clearly visible and made me think the person with them was crazy in a bad way.

A few choice examples where I can't imagine anything they said mattering in the interview.
- A swastika on the wrist of a guy who I'm pretty sure had Mexican heritage.
- Red Sox logo on a guys neck
- Woman with paw prints from her chin through her cleavage (idk how low it went)
- My personal favorite and funniest? Full sleeves of VERY POORLY drawn Nintendo characters.


I don't care about tats at all, but if you have insane ones, or even really shitty ones that aren't offensive but are visible I will think you're a moron until proven otherwise. Well I think most people are morons until proven otherwise because I'm often a moron and hate people.
 
T

Timeaisis

Member
I've been discriminated against for having long hair (as a guy). Don't have any tattoos, though. Maybe "discriminate" is too strong a word, though. There was a negative reaction and potential bad ramifications, but it's impossible to say if that was the reason 100%.
 
A

Anticol

Banned
Depends on the country tbh and where is the tattoo situated. If it is a sleeve or similar is not a big deal, if its in your hands neck or face it would be a big deal.
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
Depends on the tattoo. It's like piece of clothing that you are always wearing now. You can't change out of it, but you can put something over it. You will be judged the same way you would be judged by someone for wearing terrible attire. If you are trying to present yourself as someone that makes great decisions but you are displaying an obviously not well thought out tattoo, people are going to see that.

god-of-war-kratos-tattoo.jpg
 
W

Wereroku

Member
Fudgepuppy said:
But why though.
Click to expand...
That's a good question that changes depending on where you live. The most common is that tattoos were heavily associated with crime in many places. Honestly it still is to a certain extent. You see prison and gang tattoos that convey messages about who you belong to or brag about what you have done.
 
S

Slo

Member
disco said:
Why is this the case? Is it a classist issue? Or does the corporate world require a kind of sleek banality where everyone is dressed in navy, black and grey? Does this more simple and common costume allow for people to focus on attaining profit more easily?
Click to expand...

Because the social stigma around tattoos exists, and because people definitely know that the stigma exists (as evidenced by the existence of this thread), and because some people choose to go ahead and get visible tattoos anyway causes people to raise an eyebrow. The risk/reward ratio is really poor, so it indicates questionable decision making.

If there's even a chance that you are volunteering to be discriminated against, then why would you do it? It's like intentionally tying your own shoelaces together.
 
W

Wvrs

Member
Not yet, but I'm only 21. Have a half sleeve on my upper left arm, don't think I'd get a tattoo anywhere I couldn't easily cover up though.

But attitudes will continue to change on this subject because everybody is getting tattoos.
 
navii

navii

My fantasy is that my girlfriend was actually a young high school girl.
In Japan my friend and I had to hire out a complete Onsen (spa) because she had a tattoo of a rose on her shoulder. She was Japanese so they are stricter on her. It wasn't that expensive and we got to do.. whatever. So that was positive discrimination.
 
A

Alcotholic

Banned
I havent been discriminated against for mine and if anyone has had any issues with them, they havent said anything. Most people at my work have visible tattoos as well and we work at a retirement community.
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
Japan doesn't fucking play when it comes to tattoos. Not the first time I heard someone couldn't go into an onsen because of having a tattoo.
 
Herbspiceguy

Herbspiceguy

Member
I have one fore-arm tatted, but I always wear long sleeve button up shirts at work (office).
No need for anyone to see it.
I'm pretty sure I'd be judged for having them, by colleagues as well as our suppliers (work as buyer) at the places I've worked.
 
V

Violet_0

Banned
there's a group of neighborhood kids who always starts snickering uncontrollably and make me feel insecure about my full-face tattoo :(
 
I

Imbarkus

As Sartre noted in his contemplation on Hell in No Exit, the true horror is other members.
Boy it's kind of a shame that a young person could almost get a tattoo without anyone even mentioning to them what the employment consequences would be. I warned my daughter too and she went ahead anyway. Good for her.

I'm not going to agree with it, but many jobs require you to be in a position where you are standing as a representative of the company. In front of clients, business partners, what-have-you. An employee with a big, public, graphic design on them--that the employer didn't choose--is like a radio advertisement with a piece of music you don't like that you're not allowed to change.

Instead, you could get your "human advertisement" with clothing, hairstyle, etc. you could request changes to, for certain needs. This is why IT guys and non-client-facing workers get more slack for their ink, but it is also part of what feeds the stereotypical perception of tattoos as characterizing lower classes.

What people who resent this don't realize is that the presence of visible tattoos isn't necessarily a marker to initiate discrimination, but it does mean another candidate has customizable professional appearance without them to offer, as a perk of their package.

Again, not for me to defend, really, seeing as how Hooters and Hollister and plenty of airlines seem to think their needs for "human advertising" are more important than their female employees' humanity.
 
E

exhume

Member
Flying Toaster said:
Such as? Biker? Bouncer? Drug mule?
Click to expand...

Having tattoos helped me get my tattoo apprenticeship ;)

OP it sounds like you're not interested in working in the corporate world, so it shouldn't affect you too much. Be aware that a 'full sleeve' looks way more full on to the casual non-tattooed person than a couple of random stick-and-pokes on your left bicep, but I'm sure you know that. Just be smart and don't get any spots you can't cover (TRUST ME, even if your work is okay with it, other people in your life might not be) and unless you absolutely love being approached/harassed by strangers, don't get any imagery that people could construe as offensive. Lol.

Personally I've always covered up for interviews (pre-apprenticeship life when I did design work) and then asked about the company policy once I was hired. Nobody's ever minded and some employers have even liked them.
 
N

norinrad

Member
I always view tattoos as something personal. You know small and maybe your partner or someone closer to you can see it or knows you have it, then there's also the look at me club when the sun comes up.
 
S

SkywardBeam

Member
Kurt Angle said:
they are seen as unprofessional and yeah low class, it's a social stigma.
Click to expand...
Well, to be fair, there are scientific studies indicating that having (a) tattoo(s) and certain habits/ character traits are strongly correlated. Many of these attributes are of the sort employers usually aren't that fond of.

A total of 14.5% of respondents had ever been tattooed, and 2.4% of respondents had been tattooed in the year before the interview. Men were more likely than women to report a tattoo, but the highest rates of tattooing were found among women in their 20s (29.4%). Men and women ages 20-39 were most likely to have been tattooed, as were men with lower levels of education, tradesmen, and women with live-out partners. Tattooing was also associated with risk-taking behaviours, including smoking, greater numbers of lifetime sexual partners, cannabis use (women only) and ever having depression (men only).
Click to expand...
Source: Who gets tattoos? Demographic and behavioral correlates of ever being tattooed in a representative sample of men and women.

Other: Got a tattoo? Then you're probably AGGRESSIVE: People with inkings are more likely to be rebellious and angry, study claims

Bad enough to wear a tattoo: Study connects body art and social deviancy

As always with scientific studies, take it with a grain of salt, but those results pretty much feed into the existing biases against people with tattoos. And as long as people feel their biases are backed up by scientific research, expect having tattoos (and piercings) to remain a potential disqualifier in the job application process for the foreseeable future.
 
A

Alcotholic

Banned
SJurgenson said:
What ideal or message is so important to you to drastically harm your employment prospects at any job better than Starbucks barista?

Visible tattoos are unprofessional, full stop.

You don't get to claim 'discrimination' for not getting a job due to your unprofessional appearance. You might as well claim discrimination after wearing a sweat-stained 'Female Body Inspector' T-shirt to a office job interview.
Click to expand...

Tattoos are a form of self expression and life is more than just being a some puppet for a conglomerate business. Obviously if the visible tattoos are tasteless, then thats not a good sign. But beyond the initial interviews and first impressions, tattoos shouldnt be a huge deal- They are also becoming more and more accepted in many work places. If company code requires tattoos be discreet and hidden, so be it, but I dont think people much care about others having tattoos otherwise.
 
A

Arrogant Bastard

Banned
Beefy said:
Nope it's a fact.
Click to expand...

So are dress codes that require me to wear certain styles of slacks, chinos, etc. discrimination? I think it is a bit of a stretch to call it discrimination in the way the OP is using it.

I don't think you are going to be judged for having some tat's but it is part of the dress code at a large amount of careers.

It is part of our dress code, all tat's must be covered. Men cannot have piercings, either.
 
R

rtcn63

Member
Internalize that tattoo pic. It's symbolic of whatever, so just keep a mental image or a snapshot on your phone.

I mean in the end, is that tattoo for you, or for other people to look at? Unless it's like a "survived three tours with my squad" thing.
 
G

Goldenroad

Member
There are situations where you'll maybe be discriminated against for having a "sleeve" of tattoos, but there are places where you will probably be discriminated against for not having the same thing. I don't have any ink and I think I would probably struggle to get in with a biker gang or land a job at a tattoo parlor. Is it fair? Maybe not, but you should not dwell on the opportunities you're missing out on and just be grateful for the ones you have.
 
DOWN

DOWN

Banned
Yes, there's a stigma due to tattoos having been seen as something mostly just popular with lower classes and due to some studies suggesting risk. While tattoos have become more popular in general, they haven't ceased popularity in persons that the corporate world is basing their stigma and perceptions on.

Also, they may be offensive depending on what you have on them and your boss can't realistically check that every symbol you have tattooed doesn't mean bad luck in someone else's culture they work with or that your Chinese symbol doesn't look like the word pussy in one of their client's languages.
 
P

perfectchaos007

Member
At one point you couldn't even pose for playboy if you had a tattoo. Yeah employers can discriminate. If you want to work for a school, you'll have to keep them covered too.
 
L

lightskintwin

Banned
People forget just how judgemental people were of Allen Iverson just for having tattoos and cornrolls in the freakin' NBA. And I'm not just talking about people oustide the league but people working within the league. This was before tattoos were normalized in the league.

Hell, I remember the amount of hell I caught for having both my ears pierced in the early 90's.
 
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