When did it become OK to show off tatoos in the workplace?

[rcm]

Jesse James?

I believe with his tatoos he made more than me this year. But, my wife is hotter.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

You wouldn't just want the minimum flair now, would you?

I don't disagree that first impressions are important and all that - completely true. However, I think a line gets crossed somewhere when there are six-page policies written about how a person may or may not dress themselves. It has gotten to the point of ridiculous.

Unfortunately a lot of this stuff IS subjective and it's very difficult to attempt to translate it through an "objective" standard without it seeming completely arbitrary. The problem is where does one "draw the line"? Is it okay to have one tattoo? Two? One the face? Hand? Where? Some clients might not notice or care about one thing while others might. As such, some businesses (Disney comes to mind) take a very firm hardline approach to it. Others are a bit more loose about it.

As with anything else, I think the person getting the tattoo or deciding to dress in a particular manner knows the ramifications of their decision (or should) and has to accept them. That whole "personal accountability" thing. From an employer perspective it probably crosses the line when such-and-such a person's choices begin to represent the COMPANY and not just themselves as an individual - and a lot of this depends on the particular position/role they have within the company.

Personally I doubt I'd either not hire or fire someone for a dress/personal appearance choice unless it really reflected badly on my company. The first thing would be to talk with them and try to get them to understand why it was not acceptable and ask them to do something about it if possible. If not, the next step would be a written policy, but again, I think in this line of work if you treat people like responsible professionals, they're going to give you professional results and not make asses out of themselves or me. I hate to have to write a formal policy that comes off as oppressive for that 0.01% of people that's going to either be a douchebag by nature or is that clueless. . . They're pretty easy to weed out in interviews anyway.

This just came to mind - food for thought: How is making a customer/client "uncomfortable" by virtue of an employee having a tattoo or ripped jeans or baseball hat on any different than them feeling "uncomfortable" because someone has a disfigurement/disability? Wheelchair, eye missing, prosthetic/bionic arm, whatever? Just something for consideration. . .

[dhoward]

Originally posted by RPKESQ
This seems to be a generational issue. The workplace has the right to set dress codes. If it is not your job to set dress codes then get over it.
I love how mens tatoos are "wild" or "manly", but on women they are "tramp stamps". Sigh... sexism still is accepted, how sad.

I didnt see where a man's tatoo was "wild or manly".
A "tramp stamp" is a specific type of tattoo.
Get with the program.
Mr. Sensitive.

[dhoward]

Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
Snipped....
This just came to mind - food for thought: How is making a customer/client "uncomfortable" by virtue of an employee having a tattoo or ripped jeans or baseball hat on any different than them feeling "uncomfortable" because someone has a disfigurement/disability? Wheelchair, eye missing, prosthetic/bionic arm, whatever? Just something for consideration. . .

'cause most tattos are seen as some sort of "statement".
Most amputations aren't....

[trekkor]

I have no tats.

If I was in a full Yakuza "body suit" and went to a client's home in my shorts and t-shirt, like I always do for a tile esitimate, I believe I would get fewer jobs.

Not the reason I go tat-less, however.


KT

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally posted by RPKESQ
This seems to be a generational issue. The workplace has the right to set dress codes. If it is not your job to set dress codes then get over it.
I love how mens tatoos are "wild" or "manly", but on women they are "tramp stamps". Sigh... sexism still is accepted, how sad.

To paraphrase from one of your retorts on another thread:

The painfully childish attacks on tatoos are symptomatic of the lack of knowledge and education about tramp stamps and sexism we see in the Islamic fundamentalist’s rants. What makes you so similar to them?

[Nathans_Dad]

I've caught a few episodes of "Miami Ink" and wow...some of the tatoos those guys do are really beautiful works of art. I don't have a tatoo, but if I did get one I would get something along those lines.

The chinese letters or barb wire just doesn't do it for me. If I'm going to permanently mark my body, it isn't going to be with some trendy chinese lettering...

[goat]

I work with a samoyan who has just recently moved to the states He has the traditional family Tats that cover legs and arm bands. He never displays them.
the amazing part is they were all done in the old way hammering with a stick sharp combs and shark teeth!

[Tishabet]

Originally posted by goat
I work with a samoyan who has just recently moved to the states He has the traditional family Tats that cover legs and arm bands. He never displays them.
the amazing part is they were all done in the old way hammering with a stick sharp combs and shark teeth!

Mine is from French Polynesia, freehanded by the Mo'orean artist Capito...the whole family had to be present to witness, etc.

[jkarolyi]

>Do tats and piercings count as pieces of flair?

LOL!

>I was rebuked for wearing shorts and a Hawiian shirt to work on a Saturday!

"Well what do you expect, it wasn't Hawaiian shirt day! Oh and by the way, I'm gonna need you to come into work on Sunday too."

Bill Lumberg

[legion]

Originally posted by trekkor
If I was in a full Yakuza "body suit" and went to a client's home in my shorts and t-shirt, like I always do for a tile esitimate, I believe I would get fewer jobs.

Don't the Yakuza hide their tattoos from the general public and only show them too each other?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours" kind of thing?

[sammyg2]

The bible says that in leviticus God told mankind not to get tattoos, I tend to agree with him.
IMO they are never appropriate but if someone wants to get one it's their business (except for my kids, they better not ever get one), even though it may be a career or social limiting move.

[IROC]

Originally posted by sammyg2
The bible says that in leviticus God told mankind not to get tattoos, I tend to agree with him.

That must be why these guys exist:

http://www.xtat.org/tattoosbible.php

Mike

[nostatic]

http://www.hanzismatter.com/

[dhoward]

I love that site.

[Tobra]

Yes, I own the business.

No pierced eyebrows, but pierced tongue on Office Manager

[scottmandue]

Some tats are very artful and creative however...
Unfortunately most people I see with tats look like a page of of a high school art class sketch book. Therefor if you don't have the foresight to plan how to permanently decorate your body it may indicate how organized you would be at a particular job.

Like at the market yesterday there is a adult guy in line wearing sunglasses, baseball cap, T-shirt, baggy blue jean shorts with the cuffs at the top of his socks, a giant heart on the side of his neck that said "Mother" and various other unrelated tats... bottom line he looked like a cartoon.. hard to take him serious.

This bartender in Hawaii on the other hand looked very nice:

[Drago]

Hear, let me fix that tag for you...oh, I slipped...honest!

FWIW I work at the same company as JH.

Here in my little world we have a guy who wears basically the same thing every day; baggy cargo shorts, black mid-calf Doc Martins and the most offensive t-shirts he can find. He must have quite a collection because I don't think I've seen him wear the same one twice.

His arms and legs are covered in tatoos. He used to wear his hair long but recently cut it to a mostly respectable length. Requisite scruffy goat? Check.

Apparently he wasn't getting enough attention so one weekend not so long ago he decided to cut it into a mohawk and dye it electric blue....

He also sports a very nice brow piercing as well as one through the lower lip.

He's extremely good at what he does which I guess counts for something but he is mixed in with our Japanese and Russian engineering partners. I would love to get their take on him.

[Burnin' oil]

Forget about her tats, how about a beer? Makes me thirsty