Tattoos a hot topic in America’s workplaces

What’s black and white and permanent all over?

Pitt student Bethany Higginbotham’s three… What’s black and white and permanent all over?

Pitt student Bethany Higginbotham’s three tattoos.

Higginbotham, who is currently working on her master’s in exercise physiology, got her first tattoo — ivy on her ankle — when she was 18 years old. Two years after her first taste of ink, Higginbotham found herself wanting more. This time, she had a butterfly tattooed on her stomach to represent her free personality. Finally, at age 28, she got her most recent tattoo — a Celtic tree that spans her entire back.

“At times in my life when I had a major change, I wanted to reflect that change with a tattoo,” she said.

That attitude is a fairly common one in the U.S. In a 2006 study by the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology, 25 percent of adults ages 18-50 in the U.S. had a tattoo — up from 15 percent in 2003. But despite the increase in individuals sporting body art, employers have not necessarily become more lenient in hiring people sporting visual body art, especially during a tough economy with increased competition for jobs.

“Tattoos certainly have become more acceptable but they still can carry a stigma in the ‘white-collar’ world,” said Barb Juliussen, a career guidance counselor from Pitt’s Career Development Center. “Historically, employers in banking, law, accounting, hospitality and retail in particular have frowned on visible tattoos.”

Although Higginbotham had a liberal boss when she worked as a swim instructor at a local YMCA, she was required to cover her tattoos while working.

“I’m not opposed to covering it for professional occasions,” she said.

A recent study by Careerbuilder and Valut.com found that 42 percent of managers said their opinion of someone would be lowered by that person’s visible body art. In addition, 76 percent of respondents believe visible tattoos are unprofessional.

“There’s a misconception that if you have tattoos, you’re not educated,” Higginbotham said. “I really don’t agree with it.”

She believes that businesses should reflect changing societal trends, not discriminating against people with body art.

But according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s website, “Companies can limit employees’ personal expression on the job as long as they do not impinge on civil liberties.” Impingement includes any acts that discriminate or hinder a person’s race, color, religion, age, national origin or gender.

When senior Ashley Thall got her first tattoo her senior year of high school, she got it in a concealed area because she was worried about it harming her job prospects.

“I didn’t think it would be very professional,” she said of her small back tattoo of her flaming Capricorn zodiac sign.

Thall originally decided to get inked after watching an episode of TLC’s “Miami Ink.”

“I saw someone get their zodiac sign on their neck and liked it,” she said. “It was kind of an impromptu decision.”

Both of Thall’s roommates have also gone under the needle, but they also got body art in places that are easily concealable.

“My advice would be to position tattoos where they can be covered up, avoiding hands, neck and face,” Juliussen said. She recommended hiding tattoos during job interviews whenever possible.

“While some employers may be more lenient, others may not, and you typically won’t have a way to predict this prior to your interview,” she said. “As with all aspects of personal presentation, it is very subjective matter so it is always best to err on the side of conservative.”

Pitt senior Jen Bates wasn’t necessarily thinking about job interviews when she had tropical flowers tattooed on the top of her left foot.

“I wanted flowers for a while, and my brother and his roommates do tattoos, so I got it from them,” she said.

Although Bates said most people probably don’t ever see her tattoo, she is nervous that it might show when wearing professional attire.

“I do worry about [my tattoo] in the future when I’m dressed more professional,” she said. “With dress pants and dress shoes it might show.”

The current state of the economy should discourage job seekers from getting visible tattoos, Juliussen said.

“The job search process is more competitive than ever and it is important to control anything that you can that might interfere with success,” she said. “That includes covering up tattoos.”