Body Art in The Work Place

Tattoos and piercing have become more common over the years. Observable issues within the workplace have surfaced. Some people would argue that tattoos and piercings in the workplace are inappropriate, unprofessional, and even distracting. It will be argued in this essay that tattoos and piercings have no affect on the work of an employee and therefore should not be prohibited.

Chicago psychologist Daniela Schreier says body art has evolved from stigma to fashion statement and that younger employees see tattoos and piercings as modes of self-expression rather than rebellion. "Modern body art came out of the prisons and from the gang world," says Schreier, who teaches at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and specializes in workplace issues. "Corporate leaders most likely didn't grow up seeing body art that didn't have a negative connotation. But young people want to express their individuality, and this is how they choose to do that."

Despite the growing number of employees with body art, many companies do not have specific policies addressing the issue and many simply leave it to the discretion of supervisors and employees. An exception is the global accounting firm KPMG. The company has clear guidelines on what's appropriate and advises employees with piercings other than in their ears to "please leave the metal at home," according to an article in its college recruiting magazine (Chernov).

If the company you work for tries to tell you that you can not wear piercings or reveal your tattoos at work, they are not doing anything illegal. Do not look to the legal system to protect workers who have body art. The law covers discrimination on the grounds of race, color, reli...

... middle of paper ...

...icies that may state that visible tattoos must be covered or that the piercing has to be taken out.

Works Cited

Chernov, joe. "Discovery Service for Southeastern Louisiana University." BODY OF WORK . N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr 2014.

Malongowski, Kate. "tattoos, piercings in the workplace."More employers accepting of tattoos, piercings in the workplace. D EBSCO Industries, Inc. , n.d. Web. 12 Apr 2014.
Fiona, Black. "permanent markers tattoos still carry stigma in the workplace." Discovery Service for Southeastern Louisiana University. EBSCO Industries, Inc., n.d. Web. 12 Apr 2014.