Sailors,
ex-convicts, hookers and Hell’s Angles.
Up until recently, these were the types of people associated with the
former deviance of tattooing. Now it’s
become trendy to look like one of these dangerous demographics of people, which
has ironically dulled its edge. The
shock of having a tattoo has lost its luster, just like that faded first
mistake I put on my arm when I was 17.
A battle ship on
some former Navy sailor’s arm has turned from black to dark green- a blurry
remnant of the past. This is proof of
who he was, what he did, and where he went…a map of his life. Now it’s the norm for a frat boy to sport a
tribal design while under the impression that he is doing something original
and tough. The “originality” ranks right
up there with the Superman logo and the infamous “tramp stamp.”
Tattoos in the
workplace, once considered more scandalous and taboo than today, have emerged
into a form of self-expression that has become more tolerated in recent
years. With this in mind, employers
still hold reservations about the public display of body art while on the
clock.
Sheila
Cynkar is the owner and office manager of Orthotic Prosthetic Solutions, a Colorado
clinic with locations along the Front Range . Clearly a product of the 1960s, she is a
person who describes herself as “an old hippie,” but is apprehensive to let go
of some of the more traditional values of her era, like tattoos.
“I don’t have an
objection unless they are distasteful.
If it were something offensive that might cause a patient to complain, I
would have my employees cover up,” said Cynkar about her thoughts on tattoos in
the office, who supervises three employees with visible tattoos. When asked what might be considered
offensive, she thought back to standing in line at the grocery store with her
now grown kids, shielding them not from the smutty tabloid rags next to the
register, but from a naked women tattooed on a man’s arm, cringing as she
revisited the scene.
“Tattoos don’t
bother me at all now; I’m pretty liberal; I have a harder time with
piercings. Tattoos seem to be more of an
accepted part of society now.”
In
contrast, John Barrett believes that tattoos in the workplace represent a
negative representation of a business.
Senior Master Sergeant Barrett not only adheres to the strict
regulations of the Air Force National Guard’s dress and appearance, but said
that “if an individual is representing a company, I would not want their
tattoos representing me, the country, or our job.”
Air Force dress
and appearance dictates that no tattoos will show above the collar and anything
on the arms will not exceed more than one fourth of that exposed body
part.
When asked if
tattoos promote an unprofessional image, Barrett said “I personally feel that
they do, but I also don’t care for tattoos.”
Even though
Sergeant Barrett said he feels tattoos do not convey the vehicle maintenance
shop he supervises in a positive light, he respects his employees’ rights to
have them while keeping with Air Force regulations “as long as they’re not
offensive to religion, race or anything sexually explicit.”
Mija Teak, bank
manager of Advantage Bank in Fort Collins ,
can relate to Sergeant Barrett’s concern for a professional image. The banking industry is a business that is
formal in its appearance. “Banking is so
traditional. When you see someone behind
a desk with tattoos, I think it’s distracting.
I don’t think it’s a professional look,” said Teak.
Teak explained that
outside of the workplace, she does not have a problem with tattoos, but that
the company policy dictates that they need to be covered. Teak prefaced her apprehension of tattoos by
saying, “Let me give you my age: I’m 61, I’m old school. I don’t believe they belong in the
workplace.” Teak explained that she
frequently experiences the generation gap between she and her younger
employees, “This young lady came in for an interview and told me that she took
out all of her piercings, but she still had one in her tongue! This has happened on more than one
interview.”
These company policies of visible tattoos
spill over into the food service industry as well. If you are a frequent patron of Starbucks,
you may have noticed that the coffee franchise is free of tattoos and piercings
amongst its employees. Melissa, who
refused her last name due to company policy, is a manager of a Loveland
Starbucks. She explained that it’s the
company’s policy that tattoos cannot be visible. “I don’t know the reason behind this, only
that it’s something that our CEO and founder have mandated.”
Melissa herself does
not have any personal reservations against tattoos in the workplace, “I have
tattoos…I have tons of tattoos. I just
keep them covered. I understand that
every workplace has its own dress code.”
With
rapidly evolving technology, the Internet is making business dealings much less
face-to-face. J.B. Kellog is the manager
of Madwire Media, a web design firm in Loveland . “Tattoos around the office are not a big deal
for us, especially because there’s not a lot of client interaction,” said
Kellog. As far as his personal outlook
on whether tattoos belong in the workplace, Kellog said, “In some ways it might
be kind of fitting from the standpoint of our clientele. In sales, we might be more conservative about
it though.”
Kellog
does view certain parts of the body as being more acceptable than others. “I think that the arms are a little bit more
common place. When you start getting
around the neck, it becomes a little more intimidating to people,” referencing
how up until a few years ago people had a similar perception of arm
tattoos.
One
of Madwire’s project managers has actually appeared in several tattoo
magazines. Stephen Seward uses tattoos
as a form of self expression, “It’s a very artistic thing for me.”
Seward
definitely sees a change in tides with how tattoos and other forms of body art
are depicted professionally, “The typical view of a business man is changing as
younger generations are entering the business world. As new companies grow, new generations come
in and it becomes more acceptable.”
“I’m
a very professional person,” Seward said when explaining that tattoos should
not be a factor when determining an employee’s professionalism, “the fact that
you can look at someone and automatically discriminate is offensive in
itself.” Seward gave an example of what
he viewed as a contradicting work environment, “I used to work at a golf course
where it was unacceptable to show tattoos.
At the same time, tons of people who golfed there had them.”
As
someone who literally wears a heart on his sleeve, Seward explained that it’s
hasty to count someone out even if their tattoos can be considered
offensive. “There are tattoos that are
purposefully offensive. At the same time
you need to consider that person’s past: what led them to getting a certain
tattoo? Could be something they now
regret? People need to understand the
person and who they are rather than what they look like.”
Works
Cited
Shiela Cynkar- (970)484-8388
John Barrett- (970)378-5130
Mija Teak- (970)204-0450
Melissa (refused last name)-
(970)663-4014
B.J. Kellog- (970)962-8471
Stephen Seward- (970)962-8471
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