Piercings/tattoos and the workplace

[high_contrast]

Now that I'm coming to the ripe age of entering the corporate world, I'm wondering how accepted piercings and tattoos are looked at in the office. I've done a bit of research and see that many companies are starting to accept them as a form of "identity" and it brings uniqueness to the organizational culture. But there are still many executives who probably frown upon body mods.

Myself, I have 2 cbr's in my left ear cartilage and a barbell in my right tragus. No visible tattoos if I'm in office attire. I'm already planning on going to the parlor tomorrow to get them removed in anticipation of a few interviews coming up. Any tips or stories?

I do want to get keep the tragus for a bit but I fear not being able to tighten the barbell after taking it out as it has happened and I had to go to my piercer to get it tightened with his tools.

[ally fu]

I have a full sleeve tattoo and streched earlobes (15mm). My boss is cool with it, although I've been for a few interviews recently as I'm looking to move jobs, and I'm sure my ears have caused some problems then.

[tatsuya]

I think generally speaking, it's probably better to have as few visible tattoos/body piercings as possible in the corporate setting, especially as you begin to rise higher up. In Hawaii, aloha shirts are the standard for men's professional attire, so you have to be even more careful because they're short-sleeved.

Edited by tatsuya on May 16, 2006 at 03:44 AM

[damnIam]

Brian Setzer:

"Never get a tattoo where a judge can see it"

[MikeN]

I think the ear piercings you have should be fine. I have both nostrils pierced, and I just take em out for work and put em back in either when I get home, or on the weekends. I have a bunch of tattoos, but none on my arms.

[darkanimal]

I'm seeing more and more Men and Women in the work place show their tatoos rather than conceal it under that corporate dress, piercings too. If they have a problem with it, they'll prolly let you know or state it in their dress code manual, which I think is ridiculous. I think the generation is starting to ease up on it. Also if you work in a creative field, those tatoos and piercings are like normal...it helps to have a creative license.

[Loop]

I think it very much depends on the subject of your tattoos

[cultpop 0217]

i have been tattooed (neck and arms) and pierced for more than a decade and people are definately starting to ease up a bit. but most of my jobs and bosses have taken issue with it at one time or another and ive had to cover them up more than ive been allowed to show them. if you get tattoos where people can see them expect to feel the hate from the squares. some people will always have a problem with forms of self expression that fall outside of the "mainstream". being a life long artster i made the decision to get my neck tattoos so i could never work in a souless money driven field that didnt value creativity. i might be broke but im not cog in the wheel.

i'm not a mod or a rocker. i'm a mocker.

join a cult. www.culturepopartgallery.com

Edited by cultpop 0217 on May 16, 2006 at 02:50 PM

[MikeN]

How the hell do you cover up neck tattoos at work? Turtlenecks?

Do you have photos of your tattoos?

[cultpop 0217]

Quote:

How the hell do you cover up neck tattoos at work? Turtlenecks?

Do you have photos of your tattoos?

--- Original message by Neuman on May 16, 2006 02:52 PM

yes i've had to wear turtlenecks. a fate worse than death. usually a collared shirt hides it just enough though. i will post pics later when my camera battery is charged.

i'm not a mod or a rocker. i'm a mocker.

join a cult. www.culturepopartgallery.com

[damnIam]

I refuse to accept the description of "SQUARE" because I detest the adornment of the natural body with nonremovable INK. Enjoy your turtle necks this summer! By the way, I work in a corporate setting full of young people and I may be the only one in my office that does not have a bunch of tattoos. Whose the cog now? I feel like I am the one who is truly different and who fights the trends. Be different, stay away from tattoo parlors.

Edited by damnIam on May 17, 2006 at 05:50 AM

[Cue]

^^^ i tend to agree

The most deviant dude I know looks super-straight. But some of the things he gets up to are totally mad, illegal, and would have had him burned at the stake a 100 years ago ...

[darkanimal]

I think it's all about what kind of tatoos they are. I mean I see a lot of muscle bound guys with very very lame tats. Think of those frat guys and sorority girls with tats.

[derdankhund]

If she's wearing denim from a label that I respect, I'll forgive the ugly tat...

[darkanimal]

Quote:

Darkanimal, I feel ya. Comes to the point where a lower back tattoo on a girl, even if she's hot, turns me off. kinda like ugly feet/teeth.

--- Original message by DJ_Flame on May 17, 2006 08:19 AM

I think they call that now "tramp stamp".

[minya]

Quote: i might be broke but im not cog in the wheel.

Hahahhahaha. Sure you are. It might not be the same wheel, but you're a cog nonetheless. We all are, don't sweat it!

[EMBARK]

Quote:

I think it's all about what kind of tatoos they are. I mean I see a lot of muscle bound guys with very very lame tats. Think of those frat guys and sorority girls with tats.

--- Original message by darkanimal on May 17, 2006 08:18 AM

shame on me for being a frat guy with tats I guess.

Dress how You Dress and I'll Dress How I'll Dress.

[cultpop 0217]

Quote:

I refuse to accept the description of "SQUARE" because I detest the adornment of the natural body with nonremovable INK. Enjoy your turtle necks this summer! By the way, I work in a corporate setting full of young people and I may be the only one in my office that does not have a bunch of tattoos. Whose the cog now? I feel like I am the one who is truly different and who fights the trends. Be different, stay away from tattoo parlors.

Edited by damnIam on May 17, 2006 at 05:50 AM

--- Original message by damnIam on May 17, 2006 05:41 AM

im not saying anyone who doesn't have tattoos is a square. im saying anyone who gives me a sideways glance or thinks im a degenerate or a freak because ive got a weird haircut and tattoos on my neck is a SQUARE.

and anyone who makes the decision to get a tattoo or not get a tattoo based on "trends" is an idiot.

as far as turtlenecks go i wont be wearing those anymore. i now own and run my own business and can wear whatever i fucking please.

and why are you calling me the cog when you're the one who works in a office in a "corporate setting"? please.

you enjoy your collared shirt and tie and tps reports this summer!

i'm not a mod or a rocker. i'm a mocker.

join a cult. www.culturepopartgallery.com

Edited by cultpop 0217 on May 17, 2006 at 12:56 PM

Edited by cultpop 0217 on May 17, 2006 at 01:52 PM

[cultpop 0217]

Quote:

Quote: i might be broke but im not cog in the wheel.

Hahahhahaha. Sure you are. It might not be the same wheel, but you're a cog nonetheless. We all are, don't sweat it!

--- Original message by minya on May 17, 2006 08:38 AM

your right but its MY wheel

i'm not a mod or a rocker. i'm a mocker.

join a cult. www.culturepopartgallery.com

[Loop]

I'm gonna sound like a pedantic dickhead now I know, but;

You can't be cog in a wheel. That doesn't make sense, a cog is a wheel ((or is whell-shaped at least, but with teath). I think you mean cog in the machine. All the little cogs meshing and conforming together to turn the big wheel of the company/machine.

I'm a sad twat, sorry (but it was annoying me)...

Edited by Loop on May 17, 2006 at 01:07 PM

[englandmj7]

^^ he heh. touche my young friend, touche......

On another note, I hate when people use the "cog" analogy....even people who work at insurance firms can exercise ALOT of creativity given the right position.....Doesn't mean you can't be an "artiste" or musician whilst making loads of money working for an "evil" corporation......

That is what I do; it is nice to have the power to make or break a multi-million dollar company....that is about as much autonomy/creative opportunity as any person should have.....

Edited by englandmj7 on May 17, 2006 at 01:33 PM

[cultpop 0217]

LOOP and ENGLAND

from websters:

cog (n.) 1.one of the teeth in the rim of a cogwheel 2. a cogwheel

thanks for the vocab lesson.

please come again!

i'm not a mod or a rocker. i'm a mocker.

join a cult. www.culturepopartgallery.com

Edited by cultpop 0217 on May 17, 2006 at 01:42 PM

[showbiz00ditc]

(im gonna chime in before this thread hits the fan)

I get hassled at work just because i have long hair! and people use racial slurs because i wear some different things on my head to keep it from going into my eyes. (either a bandana or cut-off t-shirt sleeve)

and my dad owns the company!... he actually told me to take whatever im wearing on my head off if im at construction sites delievering... says i look like a terrorist.

ok... thread... continue on with... what were we talking about again?... cogs?

(wait isnt that cost of goods sold?)

[englandmj7]

Quote: cog (n.) 1.one of the teeth in the rim of a cogwheel 2. a cogwheel

Um, vocab lesson? You may have not been incorrect, but the word "cog" is more commonly used as the short-form term for a "cogwheel" which is a wheel consisting of cogs...hence the #2 definition from Webster's stating "a cogwheel"

There is a difference between technical definitions and common usage. In Physics for instance, when you refer to a cog, you are assuming that the entire cogwheel is being referenced. Just as when you input "cog" into a Google image search, there are 0 photos of close-ups of "teeth" but rather thousands of cogwheels (not that Google Image Search is an entirely valid tool .

People say "cog in the wheel" and "cog in the machine" equally, as neither are incorrect..

Yeah.........that's what I thought

Edited by englandmj7 on May 17, 2006 at 02:31 PM

Edited by englandmj7 on May 17, 2006 at 02:35 PM

[cultpop 0217]

im not the "pendatic dick" who was trying to correct someone.

and why is called a cogwheel? because it has COGS. teeth.

was i wrong? no?

yeah... that's what i thought.

fucking know-it-alls.

i'm not a mod or a rocker. i'm a mocker.

join a cult. www.culturepopartgallery.com

[englandmj7]

Quote: Im not the "pendatic dick" who was trying to correct someone.

and why is called a cogwheel? because it has COGS. teeth.

was i wrong? no?

yeah... that's what i thought.

fucking know-it-alls.

I never said you were wrong.......in fact I said you were right after you objected...

Either way, it is not that serious sweety-pie, it's all a bit of fun

[cultpop 0217]

thanks baby.

i'm not a mod or a rocker. i'm a mocker.

join a cult. www.culturepopartgallery.com