Better hide the tattoo if you want the job

I think a company has a right to enforce whatever dress code they deem acceptable for their business.

I think it's better to say yes or no to all tattoos than to try to pick on a case by case basis though.

Seems like a no brainer to me to not get tatoos on your forearm.

I've been surprised many many times when I realize some man I worked with had a tatoo...but they had the common sense to keep them above elbow level.

Someone could go on and on about their "right" to decorate their body as they see fit, but the fact of the matter is we live and work with other people, some of whom are responsible for use being gainfully employed. Since we don't know what that person will be like, it's wise to err on the side of caution.

You'd have a hard time finding a group in our office that didn't have men/women with tattoos. In my immediate work zone of 5 women and 2 men, 4 of the women have tattoos and 1 of the men. Our age range is early 30's to 50. No young 'uns.

We're in a fairly conservative financial services industry, but tattoos are pretty standard issue round here.

When I was interviewed, I made a point of wearing shoes that allowed my foot tat to be visible. I didn't quite shake my foot in their faces, but they saw it. If they had a problem with it, I didn't want to come work here.

appearance more important than substance, character or capability. It's the American way....

I have a comment about this part of the story...

Nearly 50% of Americans between 21 and 32 have at least one tattoo or a piercing other than in an ear, according to a 2006 study by the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. Men and women alike say their tattoos make them feel sexy and rebellious, a 2003 Harris Poll found, while the unadorned of both genders see body art as unsightly and think those with tattoos and piercings are less intelligent and less attractive.

As read, it's indicating that anyone who does not have body art finds it unsightly. That is certainly not true.

In fact, I'd think most people don't give tats much thought, unless it's so visible as to obscure their few of the actual person.

For most people, I feel having a tatoo is a very private thing.

Also, the comparing long hair, ripped jeans, colored hair in the same catagory as piercings and ink isn't valid. You can easily change your ripped jeans, let your hair grow out or change it's color or cut it. Not so with tatoos.

I'll tell you what's going to be a HUGE business within the next 20, 30, 40 years...tatoo removal. I'm going to buy stock in the first company that goes public.

How many fashion trends did you go through in your teens, early 20's, perhaps even later, that you blanche today when you think about how you looked, or when you see a picture of yourself with that groovedelic perm or chartruse eye shadow....you know, hard as it is to believe, many people actually bought leisure suits, and thought they were cool.

One day, the 19 year old girl with the knock out figure and landscape inked arcross her lower back is going to kick herself someday. What she thought looked sexy at 19 looks trashy at 40 and just plain gross at 65.

The brash hot dude with the teardrop on his face, or writhing ghouls on the backs of his hands is going to be a 55 year old man, and honestly, will look f*cking ridiculous....when he got them, he wanted to be a rock star, and even had a band....at 55, he may not have picked up a guitar in 20 years, but still has this reminder of a stupid mistake he made when he was 17.

I'm all for doing something artistic, wild, rebellious. But make it something you can change your mind about later.

More than 50% of marriages end in divorce....most people have several sex partners over the years. You change jobs, move, change political ideas, get/lose religion, all these and more. Doesn't make sense to me to carry an image around on your body for the rest of your life, when no one is the same person they were yesterday.

and you are entitled to your opinion...

It is already here, since a ouple of years: namely since it isn't paid anymore by the health insurence.

Tattoos were never an excluding factor back in the days that I hired people but I can think of certain tattoos that might have that effect: gang related or racist tattoos, maybe even a teardrop tattoo because I don't think it show particularly good judgement.

I just think each company has the right to make their own policy. Some companies disallow beards and mustaches, some make women wear pantyhose, some make you cover your tattoos.

One of Maryland's county police depts has recently instituted a no-tattoo policy - it's under appeal by the FOP. All tattoos must be covered by clothing regardless of the weather, which means long sleeves in our hot and humid summers. Back-of-neck and hand tattoos may be waived, and some others may be grandfathered, but as far as new tats or new hires with tats, they don't want 'em.

What? I don't look ridiculous and I'm almost 55 right now! Now back off or I'll bite a damn bat's head off!

I was just reading in the NYTimes about how big a business tatoo removal has become. It's very expensive, but some people do it just to make space for new tatoos, other people want the name of an ex-spouse removed or a woman might decide she made a mistake and doesn't want her Spiderman tatoo visible when she wear her backless wedding gown.

Face tattoos are a no no for me because they just scream bad judgment, and as Boomer mentioned, racist or gang related imagery are also a reason to reject a candidate. Otherwise I don't care, but hey , my guys just have to throw a shovel around. I might be more picky if the person was selling medical supplies or representing me in court,

Mr. Tea has 3 tattoos.

To be honest, I couldn't tell you which arm has which one. After a while, you don't even see them anymore.

One of tatts he honestly regrets, one he's ok with, but did it to please someone else, and would never have picked it for himself, the 3rd he really likes, his first one.

It's none of my business if someone has tatts, I was giving my common sense judgement of people with ink do it with a mind toward the fact they might regret one day where it is placed, or that they have it at all.

Like I said, I didn't realize so many people not just men, have tattos, until the situation called for shirts off, shorts, dressing rooms.

Someone shoveling dirt today might be doing something else in a year, or 5.

As far as the thinking that where you go to work shouldn't have a say about your permanent decorations, well, that's the way the ball bounces. It's great if you work in an environment where it's no big deal, I'm sure, but you can't count on that. It's nice to have the hiring authority/boss on the same wave length as you, but it's not a requirement, and not necessarily really necessary for you to really enjoy your job.

Some might say they wouldn't want to compromise themselves over their freedom of expression. I say I wouldn't want to compromise a great job over my poor judgement.

There's a lot of stuff you coworkers don't need to know about you...your sex life, politics, religious persuasion. Again, nice if can discuss it and be in agreement, but not necessary. You might meet your coworkers at a street fair with your shirt off and your art showing, and that's cool, because you're on your time.

To me, the whole thing is the permanence of it.

God, I never realized how many REALLY bad tattoos were out there. I'm sorry I posted so many, but once I got started I just couldn't stop....there so many more, but I just became exhausted.

Yeah, artistic expression...
Trying to imagine some of the people that let some hack do this to them, and thinking there might be a tad of regret.
What of some of these that the wearer still thinks this is great, but has an awakening some day and enters a stage of life where this sort of thing embarrasses them?

permanent.

i plan on having my entire left arm tatted. i hope computer techs dont have high dress code standards

A guy I've been seeing has tattoos on his arms and back/shoulders; I love it. Every one has a special meaning to him, are well thought out and are all done by an extremely talented artist.
However, too many kids are getting tattoos when they're dared, drunk or in love and that's how the ugly permanent mistakes get made.
I think one of the best professions to get into would be tattoo removal - it's gonna be a booming business in a few years, no doubt.

You're right about that! Wonder if there's some stock to invest in?
I've often wondered about the women I see walking around with some guy's name tattooed on their leg and if they were still with that guy and how their new guy might feel about it. I came close to asking one lady but...

Have it done in C code, or 8-bit art.

i like how sleeves look, i dont know if anyone has had a chance to see some GOOD sleevework, i mean the kind where you can see the different ages of the tattoos, and the different meanings etc.

it reminds me of tribal warrior/battlescars/old-man-storytelling-material kinda ****, lol that sounds so LAME!
but i still love tats!

but for some reason i cant choose what i want, looks like ill have to wait longer

Any time anything gains acceptance to within 50% of the 20-30 age group it dies out quickly.

The problem is the permanence. Somewhere there is a website that shows what a butterfly tat will look like in forty years.

Joe(Nana! What happened to your back??)Nation