Tattoo and Body Piercing Policy
Wildsporty
283 Posts
After 25 years I fineally have to address the issue of Tattoo's and body piercings.
Do most of you have a separate policy or is it added in to the dress code policy? I am trying to figure out whether to write a separate policy or to revise the dress code policy.
Does anyone happen to have a sample policy I could look at to get some ideas?
I have an employee that has numerous tattoo's in my shipping department and he wants more and is asking about piercings. I have nothing in my handbook. I need to get something written before it becomes out of control.
I have some ladies with small ones on their ankles and shoulders. I would like to say in an inconspicuous area of the body and reduce piercings to the ears only.
I am not of this generation and I don't want to step on anyone's rights, but we are a small health food company and we are selling healthy wholesome products. Most of our customers are older and tattoos and piercings would be offensive to them.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Shirley
Do most of you have a separate policy or is it added in to the dress code policy? I am trying to figure out whether to write a separate policy or to revise the dress code policy.
Does anyone happen to have a sample policy I could look at to get some ideas?
I have an employee that has numerous tattoo's in my shipping department and he wants more and is asking about piercings. I have nothing in my handbook. I need to get something written before it becomes out of control.
I have some ladies with small ones on their ankles and shoulders. I would like to say in an inconspicuous area of the body and reduce piercings to the ears only.
I am not of this generation and I don't want to step on anyone's rights, but we are a small health food company and we are selling healthy wholesome products. Most of our customers are older and tattoos and piercings would be offensive to them.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Shirley
Comments
705 PERSONAL APPEARANCE
It is the policy of the Bank to present a professional image to the customers we serve. Because every employee may at one time or another come in contact with our customers, it is important for all staff members to be dressed appropriately at the office every day. The way you dress also has an influence on how you are judged in the workplace; so dress for success.
In addition to proper dress, employees are expected to present a clean, neat and business-like appearance. For example, employees are expected to have neatly combed hair and male employees need to be clean shaven or to have neatly trimmed moustaches and/or beards. All employees are prohibited from wearing extreme or eccentric hairstyles, clothing or jewelry that does not present a professional appearance.
Reasonable accommodations will be made for employees’ religious beliefs consistent with business necessity to present a conservative, professional appearance to our customers.
Managers are responsible for enforcing the dress and grooming codes within their areas of responsibility. This includes counseling employees who are inappropriately dressed. If an employee dresses inappropriately, he or she may be sent home without pay to change clothes. Repeated disregard for the dress policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including discharge.
If you have a question about whether something is appropriate or inappropriate please check with your manager.
I talked with the supervisor and he said he looked in the handbook and didn't find anything on tattoos or body piercings.
So I am thinking it has to be more specific.
Shirley
"Facial jewelry, such as eyebrow rings, nose rings, lip rings, and tongue studs, is not professionally appropriate and must not be worn during business hours. Torso body piercings with visible jewelry or jewelry that can be seen through or under clothing must not be worn during business hours."
So far the biggest problem we've had is with the people who have tongue studs; they often tend to forget to take them out during work hours and we have to remind them.
So far so good...
Listed below are additional dress code guidelines required of all employees:
 Employees are expected to present a neat appearance and are not permitted to wear ripped or disheveled clothing.
 Garments worn by any Company employee shall cover the body to avoid distasteful or suggestive exposure of skin and undergarments.
 Clothing, to include jewelry and hair, should not be loose or dangle in such a way that it creates a safety hazard.
 Rings and wrist watches should not be worn by employees that work in areas where they would be a safety hazard.
 Body piercing and body art in the form of tattoos and other skin pigment alterations is a personal choice. However, management reserves the right to ask an employee to remove or cover anything that is deemed to be inappropriate for viewing by customers and other employees.
 Earrings should be tasteful and appropriate for all business and professional attire.
 Hair, including facial hair, should be clean and neatly trimmed and conform to professional standards of style and color.
Hope this helps you out!
Thanks
Shirley
Here is our policy:
11.6. PIERCINGS: Men may wear one small hoop (1/2 inch or smaller in diameter) or stud (1/4th inch or smaller in diameter) earring per ear. Women may wear one small (1/8th inch or smaller in diameter) nose piercing or “Monroe†style piercing and up to two matched or complimentary earrings per ear. No other visible piercings (lip, tongue, eyebrow, etc) are permitted. Staff with a recent piercing may wear a discrete clear plastic spacer during the healing period. (Note: additional restrictions may be added by the department manager in order to maintain an appropriate level of appearance or professionalism.)
11.7. TATTOOS: While on CBCC premises or while working, tattoos that could be offensive, disturbing, or distracting to our guests should be covered and non-conspicuous. (Note: additional restrictions may be added by the department manager in order to maintain an appropriate level of appearance or professionalism.)
What are the legitimate business reasons behind the prohibition (and I don't mean our customers MIGHT not like it). Exactly who is to decide that one piercing or tattoe is more than enough, and why. And please don't get me started again about the hair issue.
(I do believe in professional dress and neatness)
>
>
>11.6. PIERCINGS: Men may wear one small hoop (1/2 inch or smaller in diameter)
>or stud (1/4th inch or smaller in diameter) earring per ear. Women may wear
>one small (1/8th inch or smaller in diameter) nose piercing or “Monroeâ€
>style piercing and up to two matched or complimentary earrings per ear. No
>other visible piercings (lip, tongue, eyebrow, etc) are permitted. Staff with
>a recent piercing may wear a discrete clear plastic spacer during the healing
>period. (Note: additional restrictions may be added by the department manager
>in order to maintain an appropriate level of appearance or professionalism.)
Did you mean to say "discreet clear plastic spacer"?
Not trying to call you out, but if the above was a copy/paste of your policy, I figured you'd want to know about a potential typo so you can change it in the next revision of the policy (and I couldn't find an email address for you to email you privately).
constituting a separate entity or part
Could go either way. Since they were discussing the number of piercings.
Kimberly, can I send you the rest of our policy manual?
I am so embarrassed. I have an English degree!!!
>through so many revisions and discussions and never got caught.
A fresh set of eyes can do wonders.
>Kimberly, can I send you the rest of our policy manual?
You can, but I'd have to charge you . ;-)
>I am so embarrassed. I have an English degree!!!
Don't worry; happens to the best of us, and believe me, I've seen FAR worse.
Kimberly
Sorry to the last poster, but our company is not willing to allow body piercings and tattoos in noticeable areas, maybe sometime in the future, but not here, not now and not with present staff and management.
Here is what I came up with thanks to all your help.
• Body piercing jewelry will only be worn in the earlobes. Facial jewelry, such as eyebrow rings, nose rings, lip rings, tongue studs are not professionally appropriate and must not be worn during business hours. Torso body piercing with visible jewelry or jewelry that ca be seen through or under clothing must not be worn during business hours or at company events. Earrings should be tasteful and appropriate for all business and professional attire.
• Body art in the form of tattoos and other skin pigment alterations is a personal choice; however, management reserves the right to ask an employee to remove or cover anything that is deemed to be inappropriate for viewing by management, customers and other employees. Tattoos and body art in conspicuous areas such as the face, neck, and hands are not professionally appropriate.
I simply incorporated it into my Personal Appearance Code.
Shirley
"Reasonable accommodations will be made for employees’ religious beliefs consistent with business necessity to present a conservative, professional appearance to our customers."
I can change policy whenever I need, if at a future time I need to I will do so.
Employees do have to fit within the social structure of the company. People with tattoos and piercings need to realize that some things are not acceptable in a business and structured environment.
I did not say no tattoos or piercings, but that we had the right to ask it to be removed or covered in the presence of customers and others that it might be offensive to.
We usually do not have people with those tendencies requesting employment.
And yes I do pick my new employees to fit the social environment as well as the qualifications. They do need to be socially qualified as well as technically qualified.
Our staff works with customers in every department, even shipping as we have a walk in portal where they must sell product to walk in customers and also they have to interact with Fed Ex, UPS, The postal service, delivery drivers and customers on tours.
In Idaho those types of things are not as socially accepted by the general population as they are in some other parts of the country.
Shirley
 Tattoos must not be visible.
 Visible body piercings are not allowed except for the ear.
As you may know, hospitals have had a hard time in recent years hiring enough nurses. They could hire more if they relaxed their policy, but then they would probably lose patients. The majority of patients are older and are offended by obvious displays of body piercings and tattoos.
We do not handle patients here, but we do occassionally have clients come in. Therefore we follow these guidelines, and so far no one has complained. Most younger people I interview seem to expect it.
Keep in mind that a person getting a tattoo or body piercing must also think about how it will affect their professional lives, and not just their social lives.
Just my 2 cents.
Nae
"our company is not willing to allow body piercings and tattoos in noticeable areas, maybe sometime in the future, but not here, not now and not with present staff and management."
I do understand. As a baby boomer some of the holes and ink give me the willies too. However, as I look towards the future -- I am not willing to pay the price in lack of workers because of changeable societal mores. My job is to help create and sustain a strategic and forward thinking workplace, and for us that includes the inclusion of the generations that took the "holes/inked" route.
Gee, I remember when the Beatles haircut was going to cause society to go to hell in a hand-basket, to say nothing of women wearing pants to work.
One interesting note - my 18-24 year-old employees, who used to think we were way too restrictive, now jokingly refer to our competitor's branch as "the carnival tent". I love it!
I am not suprised as most of our colleges also have dress codes here in Idaho. It is a different part of the country and here we are a little slower in embracing the new generation of shock changes. I am sure that the beatles were not allowed in homes and schools in the 60's. I know many songs that were played elsewhere were banned from out radio stations in the 60's.
I can say that the college applicants I have received are very nice looking young people and the other applicants are not bad either. Really the only questionable applicants I have received have been from temp agencies and the newspaper, I am not using either one of them to recruit at this time.
Shirley
My goal is staff members who looked sharp, smell clean, and have a positive professional demeanor. The presence of a small nose ring or non-offensive tattoo isn't a concern out here in the laid back culture of the Pacific NW.
I will say that its EXTREMELY important to communicate your dress code to new hires. I have gone so far as to put it on our online application. Its much better to communicate this ahead of time then have a new hire show up with a pink mohawk and enough facial piercings to set off the metal detector at the airport.
They know what to expect.
Shirley