Parents' Attitudes Towards Body Piercing and Tattooing
Parents and youths have agreed, not only once, but many times, on the subject of growing body piercing and tattooing among youths. The state of parents who have been strict and dismissive of people with tattoos is the source of contention. While many young people use tattoos and other types of body piercing as a means of identification and speech, most parents view this new movement in culture as a bad idea. The fact that both parties to this contention stand their perceptions is explained by the negative notion the society had on people with tattoos and how that perception has changed with time until now. Our parents and employers seem not to have changed with the change in attitude about tattoos. The people with pierced and tattooed bodies still face worst discrimination in job hiring although that should not happen.
Discrimination in Job Hiring
Joe had to cover her tattoos while going to deliver her application letter to a company because she hoped to meet the hiring manager at the enterprise. While she argued that she did not think that her tattoo is controversial with the job requirement, the fear she has, which made her cover her tattoos with makeup, speaks massive volumes about how potential employers discriminate job seeker with tattooed and pierced bodies (White, 2012). The businesses justify their course of action against hiring people with pierced and tattooed bodies with its unprofessionalism look in the corporate world. No firm would risk their business in the name of being lenient to people with tattooed and pierced bodies.
Discrimination in the Workplace
On another separate instance at the workplace, Karla Valentine, a 35-year old, heavily tattooed midday teaching assistant at Suffolk, UK, was quickly served with a "standards of dress" guide when her tattoos and body piercings which were well-covered in winter showed in summer (BBC News Services, 2014). She was urged to cover her tattoos and body piercings because it was a bad example for children. Even though she was good at her job, began a symbol awareness campaign in the school, and children had started talking about her tattoos, she had to quit her job. Valentine felt dejected and discriminated, and she could not continue to work in the same environment with the people who had labeled her a bad example for the children. As a result, when the head teacher called her to the office to discuss the issues that she had raised, Valentine resigned because she did not feel comfortable to work with people who discriminate against tattoos, and Valentine felt she did not have to prove that she is a hard worker and a decent person.
Other Forms of Discrimination
Additionally, some employers seek to punish employees with tattoos and piercings on their bodies through different ways instead of just directly firing them. That was the case for Sam who hails from Brisbane, Australia. His boss was a religious believer who hated body tattoos and piercings and constantly harassed him because of his tattoos and body piercings. Sam's case remains intriguing because his boss had his hours cut hours after he got tattoos which were not visible anyway (BBC News Services, 2014). Sam ensures that he covers both feet because they have tattoos; however, the employer told him that he had to cover them even out in public to keep up appearances because Sam could see the children he looked after while out there. Although one cannot see his tattoos in his uniform, Sam's employer has maintained that he is unapproachable and looks scary with piercings and tattoos which could cost the business its potential clients.
In Reading, UK, Amii Parr also faced discrimination in the workplace because of his tattoos and body piercings. Fellow workers called him names. They even said that he looked disgusting and would let down the company at one time. It all started when he got the job, and his workmates shouted at him that he only secured the post because he had tattoos on his body. Parr observed his fellow workmates tut and spat at the same time, walked out of the shop where he worked and went behind it to cry, as explained by BBC News Services (2014). He faced discrimination regardless of the fact that he had had awards for his exemplary customer service, was polite and he did not do drugs. To make matter worse, one of his managers had sleeves while the other had a tattoo in her neck.
Conclusion
In conclusion, employers still discriminate against people with tattoos and piercings on their bodies. Although it should not happen, people with pierced and tattooed bodies still face worst discrimination in job hiring, at the workplace and in society all over the world. Some employers seek to punish employees with tattoos and piercings on their bodies through different ways instead of just directly firing them. People should change their mindset to people with tattoos and body piercings.
References
White, A., (2012, January). What's my tattoo/piercing/hairstyle got to do with it? Retrieved from http://www.snagajob.com/resources/whats-my-tattoopiercinghairstyle-got-to-do-with-it/
BBC News Services. (2014, Sep). 'I lost a job because of my tattoos.' BBC News Magazine's Email Newsletter. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29211526
