Sporting colourful tattoos covering his arms and crawling down to his wrists, Steve Tannahill, a self-proclaimed tattoo fanatic who studied software engineering at Carleton University, discussed his job prospects.
“When I went in for an interview, I wore a long-sleeved shirt to hide my tattoos,” he said.
“Visible tattoos in the workplace is a hot topic now. It’s an old stigma but I think that now it’s certainly becoming less of a stigma.”
Although Tannahill said he hasn’t been overtly discriminated against because of the tattoos that cover most of his body, he said he does worry about what potential employers might think.
With the number of tattooed students on the rise, many are anxious about the impression they might make when interviewing for summer employment and post-graduation jobs.
Can Tattoos Affect Hiring Practices?
Four out of 10 millenials—young adults between ages 18 and 29—have tattoos, according to the Pew Research Center. But hiring people who are visibly inked remains a sensitive topic and many companies are hesitant to divulge their policies towards hiring tattooed applicants.
In January 2013, a labour arbitrator struck down rules set by the Ottawa Hospital in 2011 attempting to enforce a dress code on its employees, which included limitations on body art and piercings.
According to arbitrator Lorne Slotnick’s report, the dress code wasn’t justified and employees adorned with visible ink would not have a negative effect on patient health. Slotnick ruled that the hospital was at fault, and that its dress code forced employees to “suppress aspects of their identity that are important to them.”
Despite tactics by certain organizations to conceal or limit the visibility of tattoos on their employees, companies that cater to young adults are generally open to their employees having visible body art.
“We believe that people who are allowed to be themselves do a better job, which is why we welcome diversity and personal style,” said Kaitlyn Ridout, a customer service representative at the popular clothing store H&M, via email.
The company also has a strict anti-discrimination policy, which Ridout says goes hand-in-hand with its policy of ensuring its employees’ freedom of personal style.
Other employers are more reserved about their policies.
Eva Armaos, a client care specialist for the clothing store Garage, said via email that employees at Garage stores are expected to “portray a clean and neat appearance and to dress according to the dress guideline requirements of their positions.”
Discrimination in the Workplace
A study by job search website Career Builder collected information about tattoos in the workplace. The study ranked tattoos among the top three reasons besides bad breath and piercings as to why employers would not hire someone.
Tannahill says he has been cautious about keeping his tattoos covered when possible, but he isn’t the only one who has to be wary with potential employers.
Gia Tue, a second-year music student at Carleton, said that although she feels people may judge her based on her tattoos, she strives to keep them as private as possible.
She says she thinks it shouldn’t matter to employers whether or not their employees have tattoos.
“I believe that having tattoos has a meaning and a purpose,” Tue said. “Only the people I choose to show can see my tattoos. I usually cover them up.”
Although the verdict is out on whether some companies discriminate against people with tattoos, Tannahill says that despite the odd looks he sometimes gets, the attitudes of employers are changing for the better.
“People are starting to see that tattoos are beautiful artwork. It’s not just skulls and bones anymore.”
