Stigma around tattoos at work has shifted — but some bias still remains
Perceptions around tattoos in the workplace have shifted widely in recent decades, and come as body art styles too have shifted away from large designs covering arms, chests and backs to more dainty, patchwork styles.
Gen Z is a key player in the shift as they place greater value on showing their authenticity and individuality at work. Over 90% of Gen Z workers in a recent EY survey said being authentic and true to themselves at work is extremely or very important, up 16 percentage points from before the coronavirus pandemic.
But just like all kinds of hiring bias, some managers still hold their own ideas about employing someone with tattoos. And they’re likely doing a disservice to their organizations, shrinking their talent pools and discriminating against candidates fully capable of doing the job.
Research with some conflicting findings helps illustrate the shift. A 2018 study from the University of Miami analyzed 2,000 respondents’ job prospects and found tattooed individuals are also just as likely, and in some instances even more likely, to gain employment.
But another study from Colorado State University in 2022 looked at equally-qualified white female applicants in their mid to late 20s with no visible tattoos, mild visible tattoos, and extremely visible tattoos for a position as a sales manager. Researchers found applicants with tattoos were less likely to be hired, especially if their body art was larger and harder to conceal, and those with smaller tattoos who were hired were offered lower salaries than their non-tattooed counterparts.
Niki Ramirez, founder and principal consultant at HR Answers, a human resources consultancy for small businesses, has consulted clients before who still believe tattoos have no place in the workplace, and may have discriminated against candidates with them. Some organizations and industries may have more formal dress codes, though ultimately, tattoos aren’t a protected class under hiring discrimination laws in the U.S. or the U.K.
Ramirez uses those client questions as an opportunity to inform them on how this fits into recent diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and how it could negatively impact their business if they aren’t willing to change their own tune.
“I really take that opportunity to try to crack open a conversation about diversity, individuality, equity inclusion, in a way that is comfortable in challenging the status quo,” she said. DE&I initiatives often focus on diversity of race, religion, age and ability, “but it really encompasses any point of human difference, and our personal self-expression is part of that,” she said.
Ramirez has been in the HR space for decades but just recently started getting tattoos herself, and she also has facial piercings.
“Just through advocating for inclusion in the workplace and diversity in the workplace, I thought to myself, like, well, who’s stopping me? I am who I am, regardless of my jewelry or my tattoos, like I had a long career in HR already, and I don’t have to prove anything to anybody at this point,” she said.
Her most recent tattoo she actually got in a hotel room at an HR conference in Tucson, Arizona. It’s a silhouette of a horse.
Donna Obstfeld, managing director and HR specialist at DOHR, has also consulted clients on this in the U.K. Once a client shared that an employee who regularly covered an enormous tattoo emblazoned across her back stopped concealing it during a particularly hot summer. But she was also going through menopause, and Obstfeld said terminating her could lead to a sex discrimination case. So they provided some accommodations to make her space cooler, and moved her away from a more visible, client-facing area in the office.
Most employers have no problems with smaller tattoos that are often concealed, she said. “The more obvious, large, visible ones tend to matter more with older employers,” she said.
She recently discovered someone on her team had three tattoos she hadn’t known about prior, but didn’t mind so long as she was still able to do her job well, which she is.
“They certainly don’t have the same stigma attached to them as they used to, but they are still not widely seen as appropriate,” she said.
Yet some organizations have made a point of accepting staff with visible tattoos, like Custom Neon, a global retailer and manufacturer of custom neon lights and signs.
“The change in attitudes regarding tattoos in the workplace, which we at Custom Neon have noticed and welcomed, is indicative of a larger trend towards a greater value being placed on personal expression,” said Jess Munday, co-founder and people and culture manager.
“Based on our experience, a person’s tattoos never negatively impact their ability to perform their job, so long as the content isn’t disrespectful or inappropriate. Because of this viewpoint, we have been able to reach out to a sizable group of talented people who otherwise might not have been seen because of aged company practices,” she said.
Creating an inclusive atmosphere that fosters personal expression has benefited company culture, creativity and overall job satisfaction, she said. “As part of our HR policies, we focus on the skills, experience, and the cultural fit of candidates rather than their appearance,” she said.