"Tattoo acceptance differs from industry to industry and organisation to organisation. While the more creative industries, such as advertising and design, may be more open to visible tattoos in the workplace, corporate organisations are more likely to have strict policies in place in this regard," explains Lyndy van den Barselaar, managing director of human capital management solutions provider Manpower South Africa.
Van den Barselaar notes that in today's global marketplace, employers are taking more seriously the need to provide a work environment that welcomes employees from many different backgrounds. The competition to attract and retain skilled workers has resulted in corporate cultures that strive to demonstrate the value placed on individual and group contributions. This has resulted in some corporate and social industries such as the medical and educational industries becoming more open to tattoos in the workplace.
"Despite the drive to promote individuality and personal values in the workplace, tattoo acceptance can still depend on where and what the tattoo is. Unfortunately, certain people associate tattoos with negative connotations and this can affect the organisation's reputation," she explains.
The law tends to support employer dress code and appearance policies, which allows employers to retain some flexibility in creating rules around how employees are expected to present themselves, in a way that is consistent with the organisations values and image.
"This makes it extremely important for employers to have written policies in place in this regard, and to ensure these are applied fairly to all employees," says van den Barselaar. She emphasises that employers should make these policies clear to any employees coming in for interviews, to avoid any misunderstandings going forward.
"Employees should also take this into consideration when looking for a job, and if they have prominent, visible tattoos, should make their possible employer aware of this fact before making any commitments to the organisation," she concludes.
