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Amanda Rupright
3/10/2013
English 101
Strong Draft Essay #4

Tattoos and the Workplace

There is no "underground" community, no dark den of drunken sailors initiating
themselves into manhood via cheap, ill-conceived exercises in bodily perforation; it's just a
group of people who delight in using their bodies as billboards. -Joanne McCubrey,
"Walking Art: Tattoos," Mountain Democrat Weekend magazine.


Ever thought about getting a tattoo? A tattoo is a permanent image that stays on
your skin forever. According to a national survey in the United States, 24 percent of
people between the ages 18 and 50 have at least one tattoo (Buchness). Do you already
have one tattoo, or many? If you have ever considered getting a tattoo on your body you
probably have already thought how it would affect your chances of getting a job or keeping
the job you currently have. A job is one of the most important things that will provide
income for yourself or your family. By getting a visible tattoo you could possibly be
jeopardizing your ability to obtain or sustain a job. Many people older than the age of 18
are getting tattoos that stay on their skin forever. Tattoos are becoming normal for many
people in todays society. When you want a tattoo you no longer need to be associated with
being an ex-convict, a gang member, or part of a circus side-show. Tattoos are becoming
more accepted in society, although many business either dont hire tattooed people or
force them to be covered at all times to cover up the visible tattoo.
Tattoos have been a part of this world for thousands of years, and the latest and
oldest discovery of a tattooed human was from a 5,200 year old frozen mummy referred to
as the Iceman. (The Smithsonian). Thousands of years ago tattoos were a form of status
symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of
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punishment. In todays society, individuals with tattoos may have gotten them because
they want to be unique, memorialize a lost loved one, or make their body a canvas for
beautiful art. Tattoos should be completely allowed in the workplace. They make the
environment more diverse, they do not affect the mental and physical capabilities of
workers, makes the workplace more creative because of the acceptance of individuality,
and accepts tattoos that are based from important meaning and cherished people. A large
part of having a strong, striving business is by making it diverse.
Diversity in the Workplace
There are many reasons why people get tattoos, and self-expression is one of the
biggest ones. It seems like every one of us strives to be something unique in our own way.
No one wants to look the same, so we change our image to be unique. While many
individuals express themselves with fashion accessories, many people like to decorate their
skin as well. Some individuals with tattoos believe that their body is a blank canvas, ready
to present any art that they choose to express that would make them different or unique.
Being able to express yourself is extremely important to having good self-esteem and a
positive outlook from within. By allowing tattoos in the workplace, it makes it more
diverse because not everyone will look exactly the same and represent themselves.
Diversity is the condition of having or being composed of differing elements.
(Merriam-Webster Dictionary).
All Mental and Physical
Tattoos should be acceptable in the workplace because it does not affect ones
physical or mental capabilities. Having ink on ones skin does not affect how they work or
how they get their tasks accomplished. It is merely there as decoration of their liking. If it
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makes the employee feel better about themself then how does it affect their responsibilities
at work? The only thing someones tattoos could affect is the persons wallet and that
someone else doesnt like the way it looks. Tattoos have no effect on someones learning
abilities or on how they are to carry out a task.
Tattoos have not been proven to affect anyones mental well-being. Tattoos and
other body modifications in the past two decades have become a part of dress code
regulations in employee guideline handbooks. They are deemed unprofessional in the
workplace. There is no proof anywhere that a tattoo, visible or not, has affected the mental
capacity of an employee. Just because someone has ink in their skin does not affect how
they treat their customers.
Having a visible tattoo cannot hinder ones physical capabilities. Having a tattoo
does not affect what time you wake up in the morning or what time you get into work.
Tattoos are in the skin. They are less dangerous than wearing a piece of jewelry such as a
necklace or ring that could possibly get caught in a piece of machinery that could cause
serious damage.
Individuality and Creativity
Tattoos should be acceptable in the workplace because when people get to express
their individuality, more creativity is brought to the table. When more creativity is brought
to the table, it is expected that more efficient work would get done. Tattoos are one of many
ways that individuality can shine through in someones personality. Individuality is ones
self-expression in which more creativity is thought to be produced. Creativity is very
important to have in the workplace. Creativity brings unique resolutions to the marketplace
by keeping the employees minds active. Providing a place for creativity to flourish is a way
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to work with the members of this culture to implement new ideas. Productivity increases
dramatically when people of all cultures combine their talents towards one specific goal.
The Memorial Aspect
Tattoos should be accepted in the workplace because many individuals get tattoos
to commemorate someone they loved that has died. For me personally, my father and I
would like to get a tattoo in memory of my late brother because it would be a representation
of him and the loss we have struggled with. Many people get tattoos is to show their
religious or cultural beliefs also.
Religious and Cultural
Many workers in the United States should not be discriminated for having tattoos
because quite a few could be for religious or cultural reasons. In an article by Tim Keel, he
says, Christians have made the decision to have traditional symbols like crosses, doves
and Trinitarian iconography tattooed on themselves as a sign of commitment or act of
devotion that follows a kind of incarnational logic (Keel). On an online forum that Keel
produced, one man said that his religious symbol tattoo was a daily, visual reminder of the
oneness and threeness of God, and how he is always present, just like the 'tat.' The tattoo is
also a lifelong commitment, and as I commit my life to him, this image will be on my skin
for the rest of my life (Keel).
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many reasons why tattoos should be accepted in the
workplace. They improve diversity, do not affect mental and physical abilities, create a
creative atmosphere, and some tattoos people have are of a deep, close meaning to them
and that is how they express that meaning, by getting their bodies permanently marked
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with ink. When I asked the person I interviewed, Rhonda Suggs, if she would hire
somebody that was qualified for the job. She said, Yeah, I think anybody that is being
hired for a job interview should be interviewed for their qualifications, and not for their
appearance, not anything they display on their body. (Suggs). Below is a picture of a
doctor who is a professional and because of his white lab coat, any patient wouldnt even
know he had tattoos because he makes them not visible. After getting treated by this doctor
successfully, would you change your judgment of him if you saw all of his tattoos? After
getting treated by this doctor successfully, would you change your judgment of him if you
saw all of his tattoos?




Works Cited

Buchness, Mary Ruth. "Tattoos." Women's Health in Primary Care 9.10 (2006): 9-13.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Mar. 2013.

Diversity. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. Web. 27 Feb. 2013.
<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/diversity>.
healthcareer.com

fndnfr healthcaree
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Lineberry, Cate. "Tattoos. The Ancient and Mysterious History. Smithsonian Mag., 01
Jan. 2007. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.

Suggs, Rhonda. Personal Interview. 26 Feb. 2013.

Image. Healthcareer.com. 26 Feb. 2013.
http://blog.healthecareers.com/blog/healthcare-job-seeker-and-recruiting-trends/follow-u
p-is-the-world-ready-for-tattooed-pierced-healthcare-professionals
Keel, Tim. "Tattooed." Christian Century 124.10 (2007): 18-20. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.

Interview Transcription-


The subject I chose to interview is a Licensed Practical Nurse for Capitol Medical
Center and her name is Rhonda Suggs. I chose her to interview because she is very
professional and does indeed work with medically qualified individuals that have tattoos
on their body.

The interview of Rhonda Suggs on 2/26/13 was by interviewee Amanda Rupright.

Rupright: Today is March 26
th
, 2013 and I am interviewing Ms. Rhonda Suggs at a star
bucks in Lacey. Do you mind if I record this interview Ms. Suggs?
Suggs: No, Not at all.
Rupright: Alright lets get started. What is your opinion of individuals with tattoos?
Suggs: Uh, well, I am not opposed to tattoos, but I think there is an appropriateness to
them, so like if you have a ton of them and they cover your whole entire body its kind of a
turnoff but if you have just discreet or whatever then there okay.
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Rupright: Okay, Next question. Do you judge harshly on individuals with tattoos or do
you consider why they may have gotten those tattoos?
Suggs: Well it depends on the tattoos, if they are all over and kind of a little bit gaudy I
kind of tend to be a little judgmental, I try not to but its just kind of the nature of the beast.
Uh, and depending on the tattoo, if I see it and can look at it, I may ask somebody oh what
is your tattoo say or whatever and theyll tell me, you know, maybe whether or not it has a
good meaning or what not. So yeah I mean I guess I am judgmental, a little bit, but it kind
of depends on the tattoos, the size, the nature of the tattoo and what not.
Rupright: Okay, Next Question. What do you think about memorial type tattoos? Which
are meaning tattoos that people get after losing a loved one.
Suggs: Um, I think theyre awesome, Um, and again I wouldnt, you know, me personally
I wouldnt get a huge one, but a small, discreet, tattoo would be okay, to memorialize a
loved one. Lots of people have memorial tattoos for like 9-11, and or they were in the
military and they served in a war or something like that, so they have tattoos to
memorialize that. So yeah.
Rupright: If you were in the position of hiring someone, and you saw a memorial tattoo on
them, would you still hire them if they had good qualifications for the job? Like in the line
of work of nursing or nursing assisting?
Suggs: That would depend on where the tattoo is obviously, there is a certain stigma that
goes along with having obvious displayed tattoos for lack of a better way to describe it, so
I would be hesitant, Um I wouldnt be hesitant, I would try not to judge a person on their
tattoos, but also it would depend on me policy too and if was something they could cover
up in the workplace, then I would probably be fine with it, But Im not going to say I am
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not going to hire you just because you have a tattoo. Obviously if your qualifications are
good Im not going to be looking into getting you hired on for your qualifications and not
for something that is on your body.
Rupright: Do you work with individuals who have visible tattoos but cover them up and is
their behavior any different due to the fact that they have tattoos?
Suggs: Yes to the first question and no I wouldnt say so to the second question.
Rupright: Okay next question, do you think trained nurses or doctors should be hired even
if they have plenty of visible tattoos even if they were to wear clothing that covered them,
but just knowing that they had them if you were in the position of hiring them?
Suggs: Yeah, I think anybody that is being hired for a job interview should be interviewed
for their qualifications, and not their appearance, not anything they display on their body,
of course unless it was offensive, in which case you have to keep in consideration what
effect that would impact on your business and what kind of clientele you will be
supporting.
Rupright: Thats all the questions I have for today so thank you very much for taking time
out of your schedule to do this interview with me.
Suggs: You are very welcome.