Employment Discrimination: Tattoos

Discrimination is when a person choose to treat someone differently based on a

characteristic about them. Some common reasons why people discriminate against are
sex or gender, race, any kind of disability, age, sexual preferences and even any type of
physical characteristic including tattoos or piercings. Its against law to be discriminated in
some areas including workplace, education, government services and when accessing to
goods. Employment discrimination is very common in Mexico, 50% of Mexican workers
have suffered it for various causes (8). The job search process is the moment where more
practices of discrimination are recorded, the first cause are tattoos. People with tattoos
have the same capacity as people without them. As they keep being discriminated they
dont get the chance to show and explore what they are capable of. Being different
shouldnt be a reason for not having the right to have a decent work.

A tattoo is the wound done with needles on the deep layer of the skin, in which an
injection of different colors is made to create a form. The word tattoo is from an oceanic
origin, it comes from the Polynesian tatau which is composed of ta (drawing, impression)
and tau (skin). The history of tattoos have been an important element in the liberty of
expression and identity. At first, they were simply ornamental and decorative, but then
helped to distinguish all family members from a tribe. After that, it was used as sign of
possession.
Tattoos can be related as symbols of self-identity which can bring a place into a
social context. Today, this practice is mostly done by young people which can lead to the
thought that at this age a person doesnt have enough maturity to take a lifelong decision.
Tattoos are not well seen by our society. They are related to rebellion, irresponsibility, and
even to gangs. Despite this, they have gotten popular. One of every ten Mexicans have a
tattoo, of these 33% have gotten one before turning 18, 22% between 18 to 20, and 11%
after 36 (7). So, the new generations that are growing with a more open mind and right
now are trying to self define themselves shouldnt be discriminated. Affecting their self
confidence will affect their future development, and we should not forget they are our
countrys future. Also, having the right to do whatever you want with your body, as long it
doesnt affect others, shouldnt be a reason for not being able to perform any activity or
work you have right of.
 Its a very polemical subject that can be analyzed by different points.
In accordance to the ENCUP 2012 (9), 83% of Mexicans believe that in the country
discrimination for appearance exist and 61% wouldnt accept a tattooed person living in
their homes (3). This type of discrimination doesnt affect these people just in their
everyday social lives, it affects them in their professional performance. 74% of people with
tattoos have troubles finding a job (3). There isnt any scientific support in which it is
mentioned that tattoos affect the capacity to perform any type of work of a person, so
why do companies dont hire tattooed people?

As we can see tattoos dont define a persons value and they are a way to create a
self-identity for themselves, normative foundations for many societies. Values are formed
since our childhood and as we grow up we keep practicing them. As a conservative society
we are used to opress what is different, leading to discrimination. Judging a book by it s
cover is not letting people explote their potencial and, thus society has no progress.
Moral, values or ethics arent determined by the way a person looks like, its determined by
their actions. The way that the performance is carried out by the person is what does
counts.

The perception of tattoos in the professional field has change through years.
Meanwhile some companies do hire tattooed people, some others dont. As we said, this
practice is getting popular in teenagers or young adults, it is estimated that for 2019 30%
of young adults will be tattooed (4). This should be a matter for companies policies
because this young adults will be the next generation leading the companies on the future,
they are the future. Working on our day to day relationships based on respect, tolerance
and acceptance will help to step by step build a society with more tolerance and
consequent stop any type of discrimination.

In Mxico, the president of the Council to Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination,

Jackeline LHoist, recognized in 2014 that in Mexico City prevails the criminalization of
tattooed people so she boost a campaign named Tattoos for equality to eliminate that
stigma that exist in our society (1). There even exist a law, the 5 article of the Law to
Prevent and Eliminate Discrimination which establish that discriminating a person for being
tattooed could lead to a criminal process (10). So if even government is against this type of
discrimination, why do companies keep doing it? It is known that people look up to
companies they feel more trust, knowing this companies try to manage some types of
marketing image and that is why lately hey have strict image policies. Companies should
work to be the example of tolerance and acceptance for society.

Companies take advantage of their right to hire people they think that suit better
with their companies image. They have the right to establish a dress code or an image for
their companies. If a tattoo-free look is part of the uniform and its in the dress code, they
have every right to fire you if you dont follow the rules. Its not surprising that 74% of
people with tattoos have trouble finding a job if 52% of companies said they dont think
tattoos go according their organizational ideology (7).
Some organizations admit that they can contract tattooed people as long as they accept to
keep them hidden or that the hire depends too on the job position they are required.

The employment discrimination to tattooed people is governed by the stereotypes of

the conservative society we live in. Despite this, in a near future we will find more people
getting tattoos and as a society well have to adjust to this old custom getting more and
more popular. Linked to this, the Mexican government has an other problem to solve:
unemployment. The total rate of unemployed person in OCDE member countries during
the las month if 2015 stood at 6.6% while in Mxico the unemployment rate was 4.5%,
above the 4.1% the previous month (11). If this increment, Mexican government should
make companies lower their employment requirements as an method to combat
unemployment? This could be a measurement that government could apply, by making an
strategic alliance with the industrial sector and companies. Government could provide
special training to people for the jobs so this way companies could have a type of
guarantee that they are hiring capable people. It could be risky for companies, but with
good measurements and cooperation would be an excellent option.

As we can see there are a lot of issues around tattoos, but analyzing as an ethical
dilemma, the most important issue is discrimination. Do we need to keep pushing people
to keep the conservative way our society was stablished and let companies keep this high
standards? Or should we stop all kind of discrimination so our society can be more open
minded and accept peoples identity? We are a county with capable people being
discriminated, if we end this the benefits will be for all of us, for Mexico. We would see a
grown not only cultural, but as a push to become a first world country too. Eradicate
discrimination is a step that will open a lot of doors to become a better country in every
sense. As young adults we have to learn to respect, tolerate and love and at the same time
teach.

Biographic References

1) (2014, 11). Tatuajes, principal causa de discriminacin laboral, advierte la senadora

Gastlum Bajo. Obtenido 04, 2016, de
http://comunicacion.senado.gob.mx/index.php/informacion/boletines/16899-tatuajes-
principal-causa-de-discriminacion-laboral-advierte-la-senadora-gastelum-bajo.html

2) Gua sobre las leyes contra la discriminacin en el trabajo. Blog Dgital. Obtenido 04,
2016, de
http://www.blogdigital.mx/images/pdf/Guia_sobre_las_leyes_contra_la_discriminacion_e
n_el_trabajo.pdf

3) Caldern, F. (2013, 07). Discriminacin laboral impera en Mxico. Expansin .

Obtenido 04, 2016, de http://expansion.mx/opinion/2013/07/24/la-discriminacion-laboral-
en-mexico

4) (2015, 01). El uso de tatuajes no debe ser motivo de discriminacin. CONAPRED.

Obtenido 04, 2016, de http://www.conapred.org.mx/index.php?
contenido=boletin&id=759&id_opcion=103&op=213

5) Tatuajes. Wikipedia. Obtenido 04, 2016, de https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatuaje

6) What is discrimination?. Reach Out. Obtenido 04, 2016, de

http://au.reachout.com/what-is-discrimination

7) Armas, D. (2012, 11). Discriminacin Laboral: Tatuajes y Perforaciones. UAQ.

Obtenido 04, 2016, de http://ri.uaq.mx/bitstream/123456789/1167/1/RI000619.pdf

8) (2009, 05). Encuesta Nacional sobre Discriminacin en Mxico. CNPPD. Obtenido

01, 2016, de
http://www.conapred.org.mx/userfiles/files/Presentacion_de_la_Encuesta_final.pdf

9) Secretara de Gobernacin Encuesta Nacional sobre cultura poltica y prcticas

ciudadanas [en lnea] 20 de noviembre de 2012. Direccin URL:
http://www.migmuelcarbonell.com/artman/uploads/1/Presentacion-Quinta-ENCUP-
2012.pdf

10) Diario Oficial de la Federacin Decreto por el que se reforma y adicionan diversas
disposiciones del Reglamento de Control Sanitario de Productos y Servicios [en lnea]
 24 de abril de 2012. Direccin URL: http://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?
codigo=5244887&fecha=24/04/2012

11) Hernandez, L. (2016, 02). Mxico, entre los pases que elevaron tasa de
desempleo: OCDE. El Financiero. Obtenido 04, 2016, de
http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/economia/mexico-entre-los-paises-que-elevaron-tasa-
de-desempleo-ocde.html