The practice of body art goes back centuries as way of individual expression and celebration of culture. In past decades of the 20th century, tattoos have become taboo in some areas of American culture. Although body art is still not a universally appreciated art form, it is gaining acceptance in the public sphere.
In a 2006 study done by the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology, 25% of adults in the US between the ages of 18-50 were reported having at least one tattoo. The figure had risen by 10% since 2003, when the percent of adults with tattoos was just 15%. The rising number of tattoo parlours and the growing trend in the media shows that body art probably won’t go out of style any time soon.
Tattoos are safer, easier and more common than ever. This is why human resources departments of various companies have stepped in to create standards for what is the appropriate amount of visible body art in the work place.
The rule of thumb is, if you can’t see it, it’s not there. Large companies like Walt Disneyland, SeaWorld and Wal-Mart have written policies about tattoos at work. Disneyland specifies that an employee cannot wear bandages to cover up their artwork but must use opaque make up instead. Employees at Sea World may not have “non-conservative, large or offensive tattoos” and the cases are evaluated individually. Wal-Mart says “tattoos that are offensive and distractive should be covered up by clothing or other means.”
Law enforcement jobs are more restrictive. The NY Police department won’t employ any person who has tattoos that cannot be covered when wearing a short sleeved, open-neck shirt.
Some companies today are jumping on the bandwagon and accepting the trend as a common part of today’s society. The specialty food store, Whole Foods, allows their employees to make up their own dress codes for each branch.
A website called Modifiedmind.com, was created to show a list of employers who employ people with visible tattoos.
By Chrisitne Pinella for Black Cat Tattoo Aftercare
