We've all heard of people getting discriminated against in some way or another. This is an argument that has been going on for an eternity, and everyone knows it. This is why I was avoiding posting about it and continuing the same rant once again. However, this month's issue of Skin Deep made me think a lot, and they came up with a very, very good point: Employers are not allowed to discriminate someone where their 'condition' is out of their control.
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| Vic Peters, Aurora Tattoo, Lancaster |
I absolutely 100% agree that if someone is unfortunately in a wheelchair, you can't turn them away, the same way you couldn't turn someone away with different coloured skin. However, by reading it this way you could employ someone who didn't have a choice when it came to modifying their appearance. In other words, you could argue that if someone had their eyebrow pierced against their will, they could get the job instead of someone who did it on their own accord.
So, is this right? I don't think so, but hey, I'm biased towards tattoo acceptance in the workplace. (Of course I am, I have four.) Sure, I can understand when someone comes in covered with ink from head to toe, metal all over their face, claiming they're a rocket scientist who can pretty much do anything. Reality is, they can do jack-shit.
However, when a perfectly good candidate for the job comes in with a hand tattoo which is, admittedly, uneasy to hide, where is the good in declining them for the person who isn't as qualified just because of their art? Sorry, that I don't get.
This discrimination has gone on for years, and will continue to do so. There was a time when I was thinking of doing a performance degree in Conservatoire on my violin. However, the impact of biased opinions in the music industry is huge, the main one being looks. My appearance would have killed my opportunities of getting any further than my audition. Realistically, the only people who can be covered with tattoos and get away with it (well, most of the time) are rock stars and tattooists themselves. That's the cold, hard truth of the world.
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| Andy Groves, Hidden Jewel Tattoo, Carmarthen |
When getting a tattoo, it's sad to think that this is all stuff we have to keep in mind. I want sleeves oh-so badly, but I know that, in the real world, that can never happen, or won't be able to happen for the foreseeable future. But hey, let's keep praying, and being the best at what we want. Surely, they can't decline us then, right?
