Does having tattoos make someone a taboo in the work place?

Workplaces have different polices about tattoos. Lea Williams, director of the healthy living department at the North Kansas City YMCA, said, “Our company seems to have a confusing stance on tattoos in the workplace. The part-time employee manual – I was originally hired as a part time personal trainer – has a dress code section that states no visible tattoos or piercings, so I have always covered my tattoos at work. Now, in a director position, I feel like I need to continue applying the dress code to myself, setting a professional example for my employees.

Other peers in my position show their tattoos while at work, I just choose not to.”

Sometimes not having the “standard” appearance people assume a professional would have can cause difficulties getting a job.

“I have been intentional about tattoo placement, so I have never had them stand in my way of gainful employment,” Williams said. “I do know of some industries and career paths that would be hampered by visible tattoos. My close friend works in a law office, and she has to wear opaque tights and long sleeves to cover her leg and arm tattoos.”

Williams went on to explain that there seems to be a fine line between acceptable tattoos and those that will hamper someone in the workplace. Specifically, she said face, neck and hand tattoos can be problematic since they are difficult to cover.

“That means they may serve as a source of distraction at a board meeting. They may come across as immature or ‘scary’ in head shots or business images,” she said. “They also alienate you from people with varying backgrounds. For instance, in Korea and Japan, the popular opinion is that only gangsters have tattoos. Let’s say you are trying to interact on a professional level with someone from that background – having visible tattoos will instantly lower their impression of you. So, yes, if it can serve as a hindrance against professional growth, then it can be perceived as unprofessional.”

Williams said that the history of tattoos often works against people. At one point in time, tattoos were particularly popular among prostitutes, sailors and soldiers, for example. Racist attitudes about tattoos being “tribal” may persist.

“However, we will be the generation to change that,” she said. “You are now more likely to find a CEO with an ankle tattoo than ever before. Tattoos no longer define our social status or our class.”

Has the time changed about the thought of a person covered in ink? Williams said she believes so.

“More often, people are looking at tattoos as an art form, a form of self-expression and decoration. Gone are the days of tattoos being only collected by gangsters and loose women,” she said.

The taboo of one having tattoos in the work place has changed throughout the years. It has become more acceptable in professional roles, although still requires thought and discretion in certain circumstances.