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MikaylaFoster
CaityPotterJohnson
ErinRoberson
Mr.Gross
English12B(3)
6May2016
EmploymentDiscrimination
TheCivilRightsActof1964wasestablishedbecausethenationagreeditwaswrongto
discriminatebasedonsuperficialaspectsofapossibleemployee.Thesewereaspectsthatwould
notaffecttheirworkethicorabilities,yetsomehow,in2016equallysuperficialcharacteristics
stillcausediscriminationinthehiringprocess.
Thepersonalappearanceofacandidateforajob
shouldnotbeafactorintheemploymentprocess.
Thefederalgovernmenthasestablished
numerouslawstotrytocombatdiscrimination,butsocietycontinuestofindimperfectionsin
thosearoundthem.Whenapotentialemployeegoesinforajobinterview,theyshouldbe
assessedbasedontheirknowledge,experience,andachievementsinstead,physicalappearance
takespriorityinthedecision.Thereisnocorrelationbetweenhowmanytattoosapersonmay
haveandtheirworkethic.Also,thenumberofpeoplewhohaveorwillhavetattoosis
increasing.Therefore,companieswouldbefailingtonoticeawholegenerationofpotential
employees.Employerswouldsoonfindthereisnooneworthhiring.TheCivilActsRightof
1964wasestablishedtoprotectfutureemployeesfromdiscriminationbasedon
race,sex,creed,
religion,color,ornationalorigin.Onedaythereneedsbealawtoprotectpeoplefromworkplace
discriminationbasedonappearanceandthereisnobettertimetostartthannow.


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Whenapplicantsareinterviewedforaposition,theyshouldbeevaluatedbasedontheir
skills,experience,andaccomplishments,notwhatcolortheirhairis.Thephysicalappearanceof
possibleemployeeshasnoconnectionwiththeirabilitytoperformthejob,thereforeitshould
havenoimpactontheoutcomeoftheinterview.Oneofthereasonsdiscriminationbasedon
appearancehappenssooftenisthestereotypesemployersassociatewithcertainaspectsofthe
interviewee'simage.St.AndrewsUniversityinScotlandconductedastudytoshowwhich
wordswereassociatedwithindividualswithtattoos.Wordslike"untidy","repugnant"and
"unsavoury"wereallusedtodescribetheperceptionclientswerelikelytogainofthe
organisationifsomeonedecoratedinthiswaywashired.(ShouldAntitattooDiscrimination
BeIllegal?1).Thesestereotypesoriginatedfromwhentattooswerealmostexclusivelyacquired
whileinprison,butbecauseoftheincreasedpopularityandexpansionoftattooshopsacrossthe
world,thisstereotypeisnolongerrelevant.Employersshouldnotbeabletopushoutdated
stereotypesontopossibleemployees,especiallywhenitcouldbethedecidingfactorinoffering
employment.Withthisinmind,itisclearthatappearancecannotbeafactorinthehiring
process.
Withtheincreaseofsocialmediaandchangesintrends,bodymodificationshavebecome
increasinglypopularamongpeopleofallages,especiallyyouths,inthelastseveralyears.The
faceoftheyoungAmericanworkerischanging,anditisincreasinglydecoratedwithinkand
metal.
ThePewResearchCenterestimatesasmuchas40%ofAmericansages1829haveat
leastonetattoo("JobSeekersStillHaveToHideTattoos(FromTheNeckUp)."1).This
numberisnotgoingdownanytimesoon,andbodymodificationsarenotjustatrend.If
discriminationbasedonappearancesdoesnotendsoon,employerswillbeoverlookinganentire


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generationofpossibleemployees.Suchasituationwouldbeofbenefittonoone.Asidefromthe
unemployednotbeingabletosupportthemselves,employerswillnothaveenoughemployees.
Also,businesseswilllosetheircustomerbase.Ifitispublicknowledgeacertaincompanyis
purposefullydiscriminatingagainstsuchalargedemographic,especiallyademographic
includingfriendsorfamilymembersfornearlyeveryAmerican,theirpublicimagewillbe
severelytarnished.So,foreveryonessake,itisabetterideatoenddiscriminationbasedon
appearances.
Employersopposinganendtothisprejudicesaycertainpersonaldecisionsaffecting
appearancecanbeperceivedasunprofessional.
Astudypublishedin2009foundthat,

42
percentofmanagerssaidtheiropinionofsomeonewouldbeloweredbythatperson'svisible
bodyart,
(
Miller621).

Beingprofessionalintheworkplaceiscrucial,buttreatingallthe
employeeswithprofessionalismisfarmoreimportantthanthewaytheylook.It'stheperson
whodoesthejob,notthetattoo,piercingorsuit,("SupportTattoosandPiercingsatWork."1).
Businessgrowthandproductivityarereflectedbythecharacterandqualificationsofan
individual,nottheywaytheychoosetoexpressthemselves.Inmuchofsociety,tattoosand
piercingshavebecomewidelyacceptedandareevenbeingacceptedbylargecompanies.Justin
CabaatMedicalDailyrecentlywrote,Yes,tattoosportingAmericansstillfacesometypeof
judgement,butforthemostparttattoosandevenfacialpiercingsareaccepted,evenbytheCEOs
ofFortune500companies,(Caba1).CEOsofdistinguishedcompaniesarehiringemployees
withbodymodificationsofalldifferenttypesandifsuchreputablecompaniescanrealizethat
physicalappearancehasnoaffectonworkethic,itissurprisingthatothercompaniescannot.
Firstimpressionsareimportant,buttheyshouldnotbetheessentialelementforapersons


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chancetoobtainajob.Appearanceisnotareflectionofapotentialemployeesworkethic,
moralsordeterminationanditdoesnotdeservetoaffectaninterviewsohighly.
Inordertosolveemployerdiscriminationtherewillneedtobeanopportunityforthose
whofeeldiscriminatedagainsttospeakoutandseeklegalactions.TheCivilRightsActof1964
establishedtheEqualOpportunityCommission.Thiscommissionisresponsibleforenforcing
federallawsprohibitingdiscriminationintheworkplace(EqualEmploymentOpportunity
Commission1).Currently,thelawsonlycoverdiscriminationbasedon
race,sex,creed,
religion,color,ornationalorigin.Therehasbeendiscussionofextendingthistoprotectsexuality
andgenderidentification(
"YourAppearanceintheWorkplace."
1).Ifthelawsdochangeto
coverthosetopics,thenitmustalsoexpandtoprotectpersonalappearance,includingaspectsof
apersonlikerace,sex,andcolorwhicharealsoformsofappearance.Thewordingofthelaw
wouldneedtobeprotective,butalsoprovidesomeroomforinterpretation.Theintentionisnot
toforceemployerstohireindividualswithoffensivetattoosorgrotesquebodymodifications,but
tohelpimprovethelivesofpeoplewhocannotfindjobsbecausetheirappearanceis
unconventional.Theselawchangeswouldnotautomaticallyenddiscrimination,butitwillallow
individualswhofeeldiscriminatedagainsttofilelawsuitsandaskthecourttodeterminewhether
ornotitwasunfairtreatment.Thiswouldalsoallowtheemployersachancetoexplainwhythe
candidatewasturneddownorfired,forexampleifitwasbecausetheirswastikatattooswere
offensive,orifitwastheirqualifications.Intheend,anunbiased,educatedthirdpartywillbe
responsiblefordecidingifitwasdiscriminationandhowtohandlethesituation.
Discriminationagainstanindividualbasedonpersonalappearanceinaworkplaceisan
outdatedconcept.Whenapotentialemployeecomesinforaninterview,theyshouldbeassessed


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oneducation,achievementsandexperience.Instead,theirappearancetakespriority.The
physicalappearanceofapossibleemployeehasnocorrelationwiththeirabilitytoworkand
thereforeshouldnotbeadecidingfactorinthehiringprocess.Ifdiscriminationbasedon
appearancedoesnotendsoon,employerscouldbeoverlookinganentiregenerationofpotential
employees.Personalappearanceissometimesinterpretedasunprofessional,buttheonlything
unprofessionalaboutitisthewayemployershandleit.TheCivilActsRightof1964was
establishedtoprotectpotentialemployeesfromdiscriminationbasedon
race,sex,creed,
religion,color,ornationalorigin.Theselawsshouldbeextendedtoprotectpersonaldecisions
thatcanaffectappearance.Thischangecouldbenefiteveryoneinthelongrun,andthereisno
reasonfordiscriminationtocontinuetobetolerated.


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WorksCited
"BodyArtandTattoosintheWorkplace|FoxNews."
FoxNews
.FOXNewsNetwork,21Oct.
2006.Web.19Feb.2016.
Caba,Justin."TheOriginsOfBodyModification,FromTattoosToStretchedEarlobes."
MedicalDaily
.N.p.,19June2015.Web.23Mar.2016.
"EqualEmploymentOpportunityCommission."
LII/LegalInformationInstitute
.Web.18Feb.
Forbes
.ForbesMagazine.Web.18Feb.2016.2016.
"JobSeekersStillHaveToHideTattoos(FromTheNeckUp)."
NPR
.NPR.Web.18Feb.2016.
"ShouldAntitattooDiscriminationBeIllegal?BBCNews."
BBCNews
.Web.16Feb.2016.
"SupportTattoosandPiercingsatWork."
SupportTattoosandPiercingsatWork
.Web.19Feb.
2016.
"TattooDiscriminationShouldn'tExistintheWorkplace."
TattooDiscriminationShouldn'tExist
intheWorkplace
.Web.16Feb.2016.
"Tattooism:WhereBodyArtMeetsEmploymentDiscrimination|TheLaborDish."
TheLabor
Dish
.22June2015.Web.16Feb.2016.
"WorkingintheShadows:EndingEmploymentDiscriminationforLGBTAmericans."
AmericanCivilLibertiesUnion
.Web.18Feb.2016.
"YourAppearanceintheWorkplace."
AppearanceDiscriminationintheWorkplace
.Web.16


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Feb.2016.
Miller,BrianK.,KayMcGlashanNicols,andJackEure."BodyArtintheWorkplace:Piercing
thePrejudice?."PersonnelReview38.6(2009):621.