Tattoos still taboo in the office

According to a 2007 Pew Research Center study, 40 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 40 have at least one tattoo. As common as tattoos seem to be these days, that statistic surprised me. I figured the number would be lower.

I worked in a large office building with hundreds of employees, many of them in the 18-40 range, yet I can only think of a handful of people who had tattoos. I guess a lot of my former colleagues were in the tattoo closet.

It seems those with ink in their skin are still reluctant to show their body art in the workplace as this Washington Post article explains.

"D.C. is culturally one of the most conservative cities I've ever lived in," said Sarah Graddy (not pictured above) in the Post article. Graddy is 31 and has lived in Seattle, Los Angeles and Gainesville, Fla., before coming to Washington to work for the government. She has three tattoos. "I just see fewer people displaying body art in the workplace here."

I have no objection to tattoos unless they become an obsession. Not sure I'd feel comfortable with a dude in a nearby cubicle coming in with his face looking like bar code, but I'd probably get over it if the guy was a decent worker and relatively normal human being. Still, I would advise anyone seeking work not to openly display their tattoos during a job interview because there are still many employers who will pick apart everything about your appearance and jump to false conclusions. Might not be fair, but it's just the way things are. We've battled race and gender discrimination. We've become accepting of sexual orientation and provided considerations for handicapped workers. Yet, in our constant quest for fairness (some might say political correctness) we can't seem to conquer appearance discrimination. If you appear too old, too fat, too tattooed you will be at a disadvantage, particularly in certain professions in cities like Washington.

Seems to me that tattoos are like anything else that we do to ourselves to express a feeling, image or belief. People dye their hair to look young or for self expression. They wear tinted contacts or shave their heads to change their appearance. They have a cross or star around their necks to express religious beliefs. And when it's all done in moderation and isn't a clear sign of some more serious, underlying issues, I'm not sure why anyone would be offended. Of course, if Bob the banker has a swastika carved in his forehead, I'm probably going to open my meager savings account elsewhere.

There is something about tattoos, even "tasteful" ones, that still seems to draw a wider range of opinions and reactions, both positive and negative. With so many people now sporting tattoos, it won't be long before they become more visible in office.