In the office, working retail, making sales calls, regardless of the arena, customers exercise their right to judgment
the moment they encounter a company representative. When typical customers recall a pleasant, clean, happy person, they associate the resulting feeling with the company that provoked it. It is this image-building tactic that helps define many dress and grooming codes across America. Dress and grooming codes became more of an issue about 25 years ago when employees pushed for “casual Fridays.” Since its popularity grew so fast, employers had to somehow address it as part of policy.
Two other issues employers deal with frequently that fall under grooming codes are body piercing and tattoo art. It’s difficult because while one person may wear these unobjectionably, another may go beyond normal limits and create a terrible impression. To believe customers wouldn’t stereotype a person with tattoos or body piercing is idealistic thinking, as well as ignorant. Very often, radical body art is associated with rougher individuals that weren’t likely educated beyond high school. This is not to say it is true, only that stereotypes form as a result of seeing such body art. These are the truths employers face when operating a business.
Image Gatekeepers
Employees can and do bring plenty of wrongful termination cases to court that revolve around body piercings and tattoo art. Most of the time the issue favors the employer because the courts decided they are the gatekeepers of their own image. They are allowed to restrict whatever they believe is compromising their image.
A Fair Solution
So, where do prevailing attitudes fall today? Now more than ever, workplace environments breed culture clashes, gender biases, age ambivalence and on and on. When grooming policy is questioned or more strictly enforced, the standard by which it should be measured is referred to as “reasonable accommodation.” If the employer is making an effort to reasonably accommodate the situation without creating undue hardship to the business, then courts typically decide in their favor.
Need Not Be the Deal Breaker
It’s no secret that a large number of employers frown upon tattoos and piercings. But if employees already know that fact going in, they can keep the attitude favorable during any job search by bringing it up for an honest discussion. If a company knows an employee or prospective employee is willing to compromise, the company is much more likely to work out a solution. There are ways to conceal tattoos and piercings; it doesn’t have to be the deal breaker.
By: Debbie Moss
Good jobs are not easy to come by. So what are you to do if you have that good job but your company policies conflict with one of your passions: tattoos. One after the other, you have been getting inked and you are not about to stop. You are prepared to endure the physical pain and the monetary expense. But company policies prohibit you from showing your ink during work hours.
Tatjacket continues to seek out product lines that our customers recommend or would like. This one is going to be a hit. Ferbs Cosmetics is based right here in Southern California. Ferbs Tattoo Undercover line offers a clean, professional looking way to cover your Tats.
The Ferbs Cosmetics Tattoo Undercover™ product line consists of an easy to use three-step process and all the necessary tools to produce the most natural application.
Done! This is the same shoulder with the brightly colored floral tattoo completely covered.
such a way that the tattoo shows very little of your own skin. The entire area is covered with intricate patterns, objects, and designs.
multiple sessions will be needed to see the completed design. A full sleeve tattoo can take between 20 and 30 hours to get done and for a tattoo of this size and complexity your tattoo artist will usually break up your sessions into 1 hour appointments.
Congratulations Silas Miers of Sacramento California, on winning a Free Tatjacket Tee Shirt!
Congratulations Mike H. on winning a Free Tatjacket Tee Shirt! 
