Why Tattoos Should Be Allowed In The Workplace

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Course Date of Submission Why Tattoos should be allowed in the Workplace Introduction Thirty years ago, very few people had tattoos on their bodies. Today, 1 in every 10 people in the United States has a tattoo and a third of these are people aged between 25 and 30 years (Elzweig and Donna 13). As liberties are increasing in the society, body art or tattoos are also becoming a part of mainstream culture. According to Elzweig and Donna (13), a study conducted by the Pew Research Center discovered that 40% of individuals aged between 18 and 29 had at least one tattoo, as well as body piercings, which they view as a form of self-expression. In most cases, many people feel the need to cover up or avoid having tattoos in their workplaces. This is because of an inherent perception that tattoos are not suitable for work environments. However, over time this assumption has been destroyed as more and more employers begin to embrace people employees their tattoos. It is important to analyze one major argument against tattoos in the workplace. Further, it is essential to argue why tattoos should be allowed in the workplace based on work ethic, professionalism, discrimination, changing times, and religious grounds. One major refutation against tattoos in the workplace is that they can be offensive. Anderson (134) argues that what may not be offensive to one person could be offensive to another. This goes for tattoos because many who oppose them in the workplace believe that the message and even appearance of most tattoos is offensive and destructing. For example, having a tattoo of a skeleton or a gun that is visible could be viewed as offensive to many people. Anderson (134) says that there is a potential for a tattoo to generate ill-will in the workplace and this is not what employers are looking to have. Ideally, not all employees are willing to accept soft or even appealing tattoos because people’s view of what is offensive differs significantly. For instance, an employee could come in one day with a visible tattoo of a swastika on his body. This is an image that generates a lot of negative feelings around the world and those who see it will definitely feel that it is inappropriate. For others, it could be she suffered loss during the holocaust and the tattoo could just be a memory. This contradictory meaning of one tattoo creates problems and as it becomes offensive to those who do not understand the individual. Further, larger tattoos are destructing and for many people, this is also offensive. Other employees would be forced to look at the tattoo and thus can make someone feel very uncomfortable. In this way, as long as people in the workplace do not think the same, the messages of tattoos could feel offensive depending on a person’s point of view (Foltz 592). The offensive nature of tattoos has raised a lot of controversy with many feeling that such views are an indicator that tattoos should not be allowed in the workplace. The question is, “what if the tattoos are not offensive?” One major reason why tattoos should be allowed in the workplace is because people should be judged on their work ethic and not on their tattoos. Foltz (593) argues that having a tattoo does not affect a person’s brain function. In this way, tattoos do not affect how a person does his/her job or how reliable an individual is. What matters is the work ethic of the individual not the tattoos in his/her body. According to Shaver (22) many job seekers are denied an opportunity for a job even when they have the skills and experience that the company needs. However, because one has a tattoo he/she is denied an opportunity for a job that one is capable of doing. This is a violation that should be avoided by employers because having tattoos does not mean that a person is inexperienced or incapable. In fact, there is a traditionally held belief that people with tattoos are unintelligent, rebellious, cannot be trusted to be responsible, or they do not know the value of work (Foltz 593). However, this is stereotyping because many people have tattoos and they have good work ethics. For example, many celebrities such as footballers and musicians, or even regular people who are self-employed successful in their work. What is necessary is the drive that an individual has in his/her work and not their physical appearance. Individuals can perform well and be productive despite having tattoos. This is similar to people who may come to work with casual clothing. The fact that their clothing is casual or the way their dressing looks is not what determines their thinking and level of productivity. In this way, employers who have not should start embracing tattoos as something that represents individuality, but does not represent the work ethic of an individual. Another reason why tattoos should be allowed in the workplace is that they can be carried in a professional manner. According to Foltz (593), in most developed countries such as the U.S., tattoos increase being disconnected with unprofessional stereotypes. Many people today do not feel that tattoos make a person look unprofessional or disheveled. In essence, professionalism in the workplace is crucial, but the way one treats the work environment and other people is what entails professionalism not how a person looks. An employee with tattoos is professional and respectful enough to ensure that the workplace is respected. Coming to work with a tattoo does not mean that the person does not respect the workplace because it is just a sign of self-expression. Ideally, there is a traditionally held belief that tattoos belong to gangsters and law breakers (Kaufman). However, today, tattoos are embraced by people from all walks of life without any connection with criminal activities. In this way, tattoos are something that can start being embraced in the workplace because they are increasing in the mainstream society. Ideally, this body art work is not likely to go away soon and so employers should start to embrace them as a professional outlook. Ideally, as long as tattoos are not offensive there is no need to view them with fear or contempt. Muther says that some companies such as Starbucks allow employees to have tattoos as long as they are not offensive or in the face or neck area. The employees with tattoos in companies like Starbucks carry themselves in a professional manner just like any other employees. Another reason why tattoos should be allowed in th...