# Anti-tattoo discrimination; should this be a thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2014, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-tattoo-discrimination-should-this-be-a-thing/695821 "2014-08-18T12:56:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-tattoo-discrimination-should-this-be-a-thing/695821/101 "2014-08-22T13:31:02Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Heck, he should probably fire you for your lack of attention to detail. 😉 Yup. Now you know why I don’t have any tattoos. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-tattoo-discrimination-should-this-be-a-thing/695821/102 "2014-08-22T13:53:35Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Nope, still not that hard. I can wear a locket that says BEC but not a locket that says ASS. all workplaces make these decisions every day just fine. I don’t care if you don’t like tattoos, but this line of reasoning just doesn’t work. I disagree; This line of reasoning works fine. Because , unlike a tattoo…if the letters on your locket violates company rules, there is a very simple solution: \*you can remove the locket \*. Your boss has made a rule. You may not like the rule— But you can obey it. If you have a visible tattoo, you cannot obey the rule, even if you want to. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-tattoo-discrimination-should-this-be-a-thing/695821/103 "2014-08-22T13:54:33Z")
Sure you can. Unless you’re a stripper. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-tattoo-discrimination-should-this-be-a-thing/695821/104 "2014-08-22T14:19:45Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > I disagree; This line of reasoning works fine. > Because , unlike a tattoo…if the letters on your locket violates company rules, there is a very simple solution: \*you can remove the locket \*. > > Your boss has made a rule. You may not like the rule— But you can obey it. > If you have a visible tattoo, you cannot obey the rule, even if you want to. That’s not the issue they’re discussing. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-tattoo-discrimination-should-this-be-a-thing/695821/105 "2014-08-22T18:00:10Z")
I call bullshit on the firing. I tend to side with worker rights in most cases. To me, a tattoo is different from a hairstyle or a beard or clothing because its essentially permanent. I have few objections to employers wanting a certain style for their employees, but I think large discretion should be given to tattoos even though personally, I hate them and would never get one. Unless its vulgar or something like that, I don’t think people should discriminate against the inked, even if they get it after they are hired. I don’t believe one should be able to put into a contract that one cannot get a tattoo after hiring. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-tattoo-discrimination-should-this-be-a-thing/695821/106 "2014-08-22T18:40:25Z")
There’s no reason that tattoo can’t be covered up with a nude-colored, opaque stocking. If she’s not even trying to comply, she deserves to be fired. I think it’s silly in this day and age to make a big deal of tattoos - they’re pretty ubiquitous now. But she could easily accommodate the job’s demands, and she isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-tattoo-discrimination-should-this-be-a-thing/695821/107 "2014-08-22T19:37:14Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > There’s no reason that tattoo can’t be covered up with a nude-colored, opaque stocking. If she’s not even trying to comply, she deserves to be fired. I think it’s silly in this day and age to make a big deal of tattoos - they’re pretty ubiquitous now. But she could easily accommodate the job’s demands, and she isn’t. I’d also guess that there is more here going on. Client doesn’t like tattoo - with a stellar employee, you placate the client and speak to her "when at Acme, you need to make sure your tattoo is covered. In fact, it isn’t a bad idea to cover your tat during client meetings - we want to present a professional image - and your clothing does a great job of that, but the tattoo doesn’t to our more conservative clients. " And/or you move her onto a different account. I hired two people with tattoos last year - I didn’t know during the interview that either of them had tats because both of them had the sense God gave them to cover them up when applying for a corporate job. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-tattoo-discrimination-should-this-be-a-thing/695821.md?page=5)