Tattoos in the Workplace – Are They Holding You Back?

16 Jul Tattoos in the Workplace – Are They Holding You Back?

So you’re in a meeting with a very important new client.  The air conditioner goes on the fritz and you have no choice but to take off your jacket.  That’s when it happens. 

The look.

You know…the look you intercept when your employer spies the half sleeve flower and vine tattoo twining its way across your bicep.  Oops.

With the millions of tattoos that now adorn the bodies of men and women in America, it seems surprising that so many employers still object to them. But, they do.

In fact, in a recent Pew Research study, employers had some pretty interesting reasons for not hiring an otherwise qualified job candidate with visible tattoos. For instance:

• “Tattoos make people look dirty.”
• “Tattoos are unprofessional and might turn off current or potential customers.”
• “Getting a visible tattoo shows a lack of mature judgment.”

Yikes!  Dirty? Really?

Interestingly, the employers in the study also said that a visible tattoo is often one of the first things interviewers mention when the job candidate walks out the door. Not surprising, older managers tended to have a more negative view of tattoos that younger ones did, often equating them with the stereotypical drug user or criminal.

Employers have no right to control body art you wear in non-visible areas. However, they do have a right to establish a policy that says employees can’t have any visible tattoos.  Because the truth is, they don’t like ‘em.

So are there no jobs out there that will embrace your ink?

Well, take heart.  Studies show that the more creative the job, the more acceptance you’ll find for your body art. Likewise, the more professional the job, the higher the likelihood of visible tattoos being frowned on. (Sorry accountants, lawyers, and CEOs.)

At the same time, some employers may be perfectly fine with a small tattoo of a butterfly on your wrist while having no tolerance for a large tattoo, or a violent or otherwise objectionable one.

The bottom line is that if you’re looking for a job in a non-tattoo-accepting field, or looking to advance up the big corporate ladder, you may want to rethink the position…or the tattoo.

 Is Tattoo Removal Right for You?

The good news is that if you decide to lose the tattoo, it’s a lot easier today than it used to be. Thanks to state-of-the-art devices like the Enlighten™ laser that we use at Vivid Tattoo Removal, you can get rid of your tattoo quickly and efficiently. It works by sending ultra-short light pulses to your skin that breaks up the ink over a series of several treatments. Your body absorbs the ink particles and eliminates them through normal processes.

So if you’re tired of a fruitless job search, or afraid your tattoo may be holding you back from that important promotion, consider removing it. To schedule a consultation with Vivid, or for more information, just click here.

Vivid Tattoo Removal is a pioneer in laser tattoo removal technology, and is an affiliate of North Beach Vascular & Aesthetics.