Tattoos and corporate buttmonkeying

[kabong30]

Sorry that you're having to deal with that. It's why I never really had the guts to get tattooed below what I could cover with short sleeves. I'd say that if you have been fine up to now though, that they'd need something stronger than that to can you, and if you're in there kicking ass and taking names, you should be fine, but I think that looking for something else is a safe bet and if they confront you and you're straightforward (like if they say they're gonna can you for them) I'd just say, look, cut me some slack and let me find something else and I won't make a stink and we can have a nice day. Be sure to tell them that you hope their firings go really well.

 

[grizzly86]

@baronsamedi You might want to check out something like this.

 

[riptide]

I would stick it out for now. I have been through policy changes it seem that things change all the time. As a cook my tats have never been a issue, but when I moved into corporate cooking I had to cover them and i had to take out my earrings. 5 years later I can roll up my coat sleeves and where studs in my ears I can even ware gauges as long as they are clear. they even allow facial piercings it you wear studs. I fond out the reason for all the changes is that the management is becoming younger and they have all of the above mentioned. Just don't let them fire you for not following the rules that = no unemployment.

 

[irishsmoker]

Im also covered in ink brother and thankfully due to the military nature of mine no one says anything about them.

 

[crpntr1]

+1 grizzly..those are same principle as the shooter's sleeve, except there designed for tat cover

 

[guitarguy86]

When the first human voice recording was played in public, people thought it was evil.

Ignorance.

 

[philip]

Universal Studios must have had the same policy when Boris Karloff worked for them.

 

[baronsamedi]

Well I got the scoop from my director. Essentially, the corporate office is rewording the dress policy to say "no visible tattoos" so it doesn't matter what they are, they are simply changing the rules. My director agrees it's bullshit but we have to do it. Maybe I'll get lucky and they will send me home for being out of dress code. I need a break anyway.

 

[cigrmaster]

baron, you may not like it but as the employer they have every right to dictate how they want their employees to look. If they have a company policy where tats cannot show, then you have to decide whether you still want to work for them. Please do not cut off your nose to spite your face, jobs are extremely difficult to find and there are tons of people who would take yours in a heartbeat. You will not get unemployment benefits and you will lose valuable income that can buy pipes and tobacco. Don't be silly, cover them up and then take your time to look for another job if you feel like leaving.
My oldest son and daughter both have tats and I told them to make sure they can be covered up because corporate America don't like them. It is the world we live in and you cannot fight these people.

 

[bigvan]

A friend got two full sleeves of tattoos years ago because he was a "nonconformist". He's now complaining because his employer(a Fortune 500 company)insists he cover them up. I tried explaining what "hire at will" means but he didn't get it. I then tried explaining what "irony" means (taking a paycheck from The Man but not being willing to conform to his rules) and he called me a "dick".
It sounds like you found a work-around, Baron. Good luck.

 

[winton]

Baron, No ink, so I can't directly relate to what your dealing with. But there are always policies etc that we disagree with. So far, I have never had to make the quit or comply decision. There have been times I have thought long and hard. But I have a wife and kids so the stakes are fairly high. I would suggest thinking clearly about the decision. It is tough to find work around my area.
Winton

 

[tanless1]

...still laughing at *unter !!

 

[ssjones]

Some people's choice in clothing is a lot tacky than the tattoos I've seen.

Well said.
If it were me, I'd play by the new rules (they don't seem that extreme) and look for a better opportunity if you can't live with them. If the rules are in writing and you signed paperwork for the new management, you probably agreed somewhere to adhere to them. You'll never win an unemployment claim if that is the case. If you didn't sign anything, you might have chance, but as Harris advises, why risk it?

 

[reichenbach]

Is Texas a Right-To-Work state? If it is, you are SOL. You can quit or be fired for no reason with no recourse (New York is one such state and my girlfriend was fired for taking bereavement when her father died. Her lawyer/cousin dissuaded her from suing for wrongful termination because it would have been completely pointless).
If I were you, I would play until you found a new job. Talking to the new management is only going to bring attention to you and you may get frozen out before you're ready. Get the Under Armor or the shooting sleeve and start looking. To an extrovert, this may seem counter-intuitive and to the brash, this my seem cowardly but, realistically, if they are looking to can people (especially in your dept), does compromise seem like something that is likely? Does reason play in these situations? In my experience, it does not. I am an introvert though, so I prefer to fly under the radar as a rule. Hopefully, I've added something for your consideration.

 

[crk69]

Here's a little something that a friend of mine posted on FB a while back..

He's a paramedic, and I thought it was true for a lot of different professions.. My uniform covers my tats, and I have not completed my sleeves due to the weather here in Texas and having to wear cotton long sleeves... When I am off, I proudly display my tats and don't care what others think. I understand where your at Baron.. Hopefully things will work out..

 

[dochudson]

if they send you home for dress code violations that just gives them ammo to fire you. play their game while you look for other work. it's much easier to find work when you have a job. I worked for a large group of hospitals and I think mist the maint guys wore long sleeve shirts and just rolled them up when they were working and turned them down while running around the hosp and in the shop areas. just find some really lightweight material and play along.

 

[bentmike]

Good advice by all. I have a tat I got 20 years ago during my Air Force days. Thinking about a new one but what and where is a non-issue as I am my own boss.

 

[mick]

Maybe because you've had a job for a few years you forget what unemployment (the state of being, not the cash) is like. Let me tell you, after working a decade straight, unemployment sucks . . . really sucks! Take heed of those above who say to look for a new job while you've got one if things start heating up at work. Definitely comply instead of rebel so you can cover all your bases. Also, if you comply and they still let you go, then you at least have a clean record if they do a reference check on your last position. Times are tough, don't make them tougher than they need to be.

 

[mrenglish]

New bosses = new rules. Sucks in the corporate world but that is the way it is. I would do what you need to do to get by while looking for a new job. Your last day you can come in with no sleeves. I work in the corporate world and see this crap all the time, especially with as many times as upper management changes in my line of work. Hang in there, brother.

 

[buster]

Baron, I also have tattoos. Mine just barely show beneath short sleeve shirts. Working for dick heads sucks but unemployment is only a percentage of your salary. I spent 3 years on it and getting a new job was harder the longer I was on it. Lucky things worked out and as my UI benefits ended I lucked into a new opportunity. I feel very lucky to have it. The economy sucks no mater what they say on TV. Times are hard and good jobs are far and few between.
So my advice is suck it up, keep quiet and when you do speak up be positive in attitude. Dont make waves my friend milk that salary as long as you can and keep your cards close to your chest. Keep in touch with your friends who are leaving and start polishing your resume. Start looking for new opportunities NOW. Also start saving as much money for a rainy day NOW.