As time goes on and my generation begins to enter into corporate America, a troubling aspect of employment these days seems to be body art discrimination. Body art discrimination is judging another person based on their tattoos, piercings, hair color, or any other change a person makes to their body. This form of workplace discrimination is damaging and infringes on a person’s right to express themselves through their own body.
As time goes on and my generation begins to enter into corporate America, a troubling aspect of employment these days seems to be body art discrimination. Body art discrimination is judging another person based on their tattoos, piercings, hair color, or any other change a person makes to their body. This form of workplace discrimination is damaging and infringes on a person’s right to express themselves through their own body.
Many companies today have policies put in place that allow employers the freedom to deny a work application based on their body art. Visible tattoos, gauges (which are ear piercing extensions that stretch the ear lobes), and colored hair are often looked down on by employers and are seen as unprofessional, and even offensive to some with more traditionalistic views on what is or is not appropriate.
But the reality is, times are changing. Many of the people who decorate their bodies today do so because it makes them happy and it is how they express themselves. It serves no purpose to put shame on people who wish to look a certain way and degrade their character by saying they are being rebellious or disrespectful. It is far more disrespectful to judge a person based on their appearances and not on their character.
In certain professional settings it is understandable why some employers would want their employees to look professional and clean cut. However, things like tattoos and piercings should not inherently be stigmatized as unprofessional. Companies should try to change their perspective and mindset on their employees rather than try to change the employees themselves.
Companies should put policies into place that work with those who have body art rather than against them. Tattoos should be handled person to person according to the tattoos themselves, and be given the option to cover sensitive areas accordingly. Piercings and colored hair should be destigmatized completely and should only come into consideration when customer health could be affected. Overall, people should be able feel safe knowing that employers will not base their judgment solely upon their appearances when they try to find work.
As my generation enters the workforce, it is important for employer to realize that we are not the same people with the same ideals as the generations that came before us. Now more than ever body art is being widely accepted and embraced by people from all walks of life as people find new and empowering ways to express themselves. It should not be the business of employers to worry about the way a person expresses themselves through their body art.
