Michelle Chambers
Com 220
November 18, 2010
Denise Langdon
While there is a huge amount of popularity in body art and piercings today, are there more companies accepting them in the work place today? It seems as though the hiring practices in most companies today look past the body art and more towards the actual qualifications of an individual as compared to before, where tattoos and body piercings were unacceptable in the work place. Although there are various opinions on the subject, tattoos and/or body piercings have seemingly been a subject as to whether or not to be allowed in the work place. Several factors have come into play in this particular subject. They include work place policy, preference, religion, and profession; just to name a few. Everyone has their own reasons for getting a tattoo, or tattoos. Whether your reason is because of religion, sentimental reasons, rebelling, or anything in between, having those tattoos and being in the work place plays a huge part in whether or not to allow these tattoos in said work place. Work place policy involving tattoos and body piercings range anywhere from simply not being allowed, taking out a particular piercing, to that of the act of being able to cover visible tattoos. Should either one not be allowed period in the work place, are there possible violations in our Constitutional Rights for Freedom of Expression? The same can be said for those policies that may state that visible tattoos must be covered or that the piercing has to be taken out. As a matter of preference, one would have to question whether or not it was of a legality issue. If a company had no such policy and just simply stated that tattoos and/or body piercings were not allowed in the workplace, would it be justifiable in relieving someone of their job without the repercussions of possibly being sued? There have been cases that have actually gone to court with the