Air New Zealand has announced it will be ending its ban on staff showing visible tattoos – air stewards, stewardesses and ground staff will be able to display “non-offensive” tattoos at work from 1 September.
While we’re unsure why they have to wait two-and-a-half months to show off their ink, it could signify a shift in attitudes towards tattoos in New Zealand. But where does the land lie in the UK?
Last year, a YouGov survey of HR decision makers found tattoos still put some employers off making a hire. Six in 10 employers (61%) said they are “substantially” less likely to hire someone with a face tattoo, with a further 17% saying tattoos make them “slightly” less likely to hire a candidate.
Employers are split on sleeves – half said they’re less likely to hire someone who has one, while neck tattoos and hand tattoos were not viewed kindly: 66% and 60% respectively said a candidate with them would less likely get the job.
So does the tattoo stigma still exist here in the UK? We asked employees from different industries about their experiences.
Tabby Farrar, 27, from Norwich, says tattoos are so accepted by her current employer, they’re almost encouraged. When staff at the marketing agency were having photos taken for the company website, colleagues joked it was a good thing her tattoos were on show, saying “it makes us look cooler, doesn’t it?”
But she hasn’t had such a positive response in the past. A few years ago she was working on an information desk and, at the time, only had tattoos on her lower legs and feet – which were behind the desk where no one could see them.
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“After being given the job, following an interview where nobody realised I had tattoos (I had tights on), I was made to feel like an alien for having them and told ‘we weren’t expecting you to have tattoos – you’re a young girl!’ It’s normally blokes who have tattoos’,” she says, saying it was an example of everyday sexism in the workplace.
“I had to make sure I was wearing thick opaque tights even in hot weather, so there was no risk someone might realise I had tattoos.”
Mental health campaigner Nikki Mattocks, 22, from Croydon, says her tattoos are welcomed in the psychiatric hospital where she’s employed as a support worker.
Her tattoos even help her bond with service users, says Mattocks, who has 16 small tattoos mainly on her arms – and most are recovery-related. “I’ve got a tattoo that symbolises pride, one that says ‘stay strong’, one that says ‘this too shall pass’, and one of a wolf’s face that to me symbolises strength,” she says.
“Tattoos are a great conversation starter with service users. It’s a great way of creating a rapport with people as it’s a light topic. I’ve had people thank me for basically being a walking motivational poster with all the quotes and words I have tattooed on me.”
Most people who got in touch said tattoos are so normalised in their workplace, they’re not even mentioned. This is the case for Rachel Humphreys, 24, who works in PR in Leeds. “Tattoos are fine – my manager has lots of tattoos like myself and I’ve never been told to cover them up,” she says.
And Abbi Allen, 28, a freelance illustrator from London, adds that tattoos are irrelevant to her ability to do the job.
″[Tattoos are] no big deal, and if they were then they are not an employer I want to work with,” she says.
“But I also recognise my privilege in being able to turn down work on these grounds if I had to, as I understand that some people don’t have that option.”