While tattoos have come a long way in gaining acceptance in the United States over the last several decades, there are still some who frown upon a heavy amount of ink. In fact, one of the biggest reasons people don’t get the amount of ink they actually want is because of the fear of not being able to find work or losing the work they already have.
When I first began getting tattoos, back in the early 2000s, tattoos were not acceptable in the workplace… in any workplace other than perhaps Hot Topic and Spencer’s stores and tattoo parlors. As my own tattoo collection has begun to grow, so has workplace acceptance. While some people still disagree with tattoos in the workplace, there are now quite a few companies that have jumped on the bandwagon, embracing tattoos as they continue to become more and more mainstream.
Of course, on the other side of the spectrum, there are still many companies that will not hire an individual with visible tattoos. And, unfortunately, not a single state in America has laws protecting tattooed employees from discrimination as of yet. Although we can hope, this is sure to come as more and more employers are becoming tattoo-friendly.
Tattoo acceptance in the workplace is largely dependent on the line of work and location. Companies in urban areas are more likely to be lenient with tattoos than areas with a more rural setting. According to an infographic published by Skininfo.com, the most tattoo-friendly cities in America are San Francisco, CA; Austin, TX; Pittsburgh, PA; Philadelphia, PA; Detroit, MI; Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; Portland, OR; Atlanta, GA; Los Angeles, CA; Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ; San Diego, CA; Las Vegas, NV; and New York, NY.
When it comes to the type of industries that allow visible tattoos in the workplace, it is quite varied. The line of work with the highest percentage of tattooed employees is actually the military, coming in at 36%. Here’s a breakdown of the rest of the industries and their percentages.
-Agriculture/Ranching: 22%
-Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation: 20%
-Arts, Media, and Entertainment: 16%
-Retail: 14%
-Finance and Banking: 13%
-Healthcare: 13%
-Professional Services: 13%
-Education, Child Development, and Family Services: 12%
-Manufacturing: 9%
-Engineering, Design, and Construction: 9%
-Information Technology: 9%
-Government: 8%
Most companies, regardless of industry, do have tattoo policies which restrict the visibility of offensive, racist, sexist, or indecent tattoos. In addition, many companies, even those with lenient tattoo policies, prohibit tattoos on the neck, head, or face. Today, with the rise in tattoo popularity, a larger number of companies are welcoming tattoos in the workplace, citing that they encourage creativity, self-expression, and personal freedom, which in turn deliver results and promote a happier workspace.
For those of you seeking employment but wanting to get that sleeve, check out this list of the most tattoo-friendly companies across the States at the moment, courtesy of Skininfo.com.
1. Whole Foods
2. Sally’s Beauty Supply
3. Hot Topic/Torrid
4. Trader Joe’s
5. Borders Books
6. Target
7. Claire’s Boutique
8. Piercing Pagoda
9. Burlington Coat Factory
10. Albertson’s
11. Big Lots
12. Barnes & Noble
13. IKEA
14. Forever 21
15. Journeys
16. Spencer’s Gifts
17. Staples
18. Ticketmaster
19. Hard Rock Café/Hotel
20. Best Buy
21. Kohl’s
22. Anthropologie
23. Home Depot
24. Lowe’s
25. Petco
26. Google
27. FedEx
28. UPS
29. MAC Cosmetics
30. LUSH Cosmetics
31. Tokyo Joe’s
32. Dunkin Donuts
33. Half Price Books
34. Applebee’s
35. Amazon(.com)
36. Zappos(.com)
