Abstract
Tattoos have become a popular form of body art in the present times. However, having tattoos might come to have a negative impact on one’s position in the workplace. This is mainly due to the stereotypes that are existent in the society regarding tattoo art and the people opting to get tattooed. It has to be reckoned that the people with tattoos are ascribed certain characteristics. They are generally seen to be rebellious in nature. (SCU, n.d.) Apart from that, it is believed that tattooed people might not fit in a corporate ambiance of a workplace. (Amble, 2013) Also, these people who are tattooed tend to get judged in terms of their values in life. (Gross, n.d.) All of these things come to have a huge negative impact in their professional life. The paper explores these stereotypes and discusses the impact of the stigmatized thought process of the general people of the society about the tattooed individuals.
Tattoos at Work Negative
It needs to be noted that tattoo art is something that faces stigmatization and taboo in the society even in the present times. Although tattoo art has come to become very popular in the recent years, there are certain biases that exist regarding the art work. A person who has tattoos on his or her body is taken to have certain characteristic traits. This is the result of generalization and stigmatization in the society regarding the matter. A close introspection of the perception about tattoo art would enable one to have a better understanding of why tattoo art might have a negative impression in the workplace. Now, it needs to be reckoned that tattoo art evokes the stereotyped perception of the employers that sees the tattooed person as a rebel. Also, it is believed that having tattooed employees can harm the corporate image. There is a value judgment of the people with tattoos. Thus, it needs to be reckoned that tattoos bring preconceived notions so as to negatively impact the employees in a workplace.
A person with a tattoo can very well be seen as a rebellious character. Now, this perspective is surely a reflection of the stigmatization that is in vague in the society. It is believed that people are more prone to getting tattoos is they have the tendency to go against the order of things or the norms of the society. No employer would like to someone in the office who has the innate attitude of going against the authority or the rules of the workplace. Hence, the tattoos come to have a negative impact on the prospective people searching for jobs. Also, if a tattooed person is employed in any workplace he or she might be seen to be rebellious in nature. All of this has to do with the dominant view of the society about tattoo art that has been carried forward to the workplace as well. (SCU, n.d.)
Moreover, it is believed that a tattooed employee might come to harm the corporate image of a workplace. Now, it has to be understood that the corporate sector makes way for a formal attitude, and everything has to be prim and proper. However, in stark contrast to the formal norms and attires that is popularized in the corporate workplace, tattoos come across to be quite out of place. Tattoos do not come to be accepted as formal in nature. Rather, the tattoo art provides the person with the scope of portraying one’s thought or perspective, some idea or other varied things. Such portraiture might not go down well with the employer or the management of a workplace. (Amble, 2013)
It cannot be denied that there is a tendency of value judgment of the tattooed people. Generally this goes against the people with tattoos. While a person cannot be judged or analyzed based on the tattoos, this is truly a practice that is in vague. The tattoos seem to take over the other facets of the person’s personality, and the person gets judged based on the tattoo art. Although such judgments might very well be wrong, but one cannot simply influence the management or employer. As such, having tattoos can have a major impact on the general impression of the employee or the interviewee. Any tattoo that is visible would hog the attention and would divert the perspective of a person toward judging the tattooed individual based on the popularized stereotypes. (Gross, n.d.)
Hence, it would be correct to conclude that tattoos do have a major impact in one’s life when it comes to the workplace. Tattoos are seen as a misfit in the corporate ambiance of the workplace. As such, the people with tattoos might get discriminated or might have a bad impression. The preconceived notions about tattoo art come to negatively impact people with tattoos in their offices. They are taken to be rebellious, and are judged. They are taken to be people who might harm the corporate image as well.
References
Amble, Brian. (2013). Tattoo taboo: what employers think about ink. Management
Issues. Retrieved from http://www.management-issues.com/news/6745/tattoo-taboo-what-employers-think-about-ink/
Gross, Barrie. (n.d.). Tattoos in the Workplace: What’s an Employer to Do? All Business.
Retrieved from http://www.allbusiness.com/tattoos-in-the-workplace-whats-an-employer-to-do-4113152-1.html
(n.d.). Tattoo Stereotypes and Perceptions. SCU. Retrieved from
http://webpages.scu.edu/ftp/MSchubert/TattooStereotypesPerceptions.html
