It is lawful for your employer to have policies regarding your appearance at work. These policies may include a ban on visible tattoos and other matters however should not result in harsh or unfair treatment.
The simple answer is – yes, according to discrimination law experts. In most states, anti-discrimination legislation does not offer protection for physical features, including tattoos and piercings.
If the requirement is not reasonable in the circumstances, it could be discrimination. Example: An employer had a policy to refuse to hire any workers with visible tattoos, even for roles that involved no customer contact.
Australia has no national laws that make it illegal for employers to ban visible body ink in the workplace or to reject applicants because of their tattoos.
Yes, unfortunately, employers are completely allowed to not hire you because of your visible tattoos, especially if you refuse to cover them (or if it's hard to cover them). By Consitution, no one should be discriminated against and not employed because of their appearance, gender, age, nationality, and other factors.
Depending on the company you are seeking to have a career at and how conservative their policies are, hand and finger tattoos are not immediately written off as a reason for someone not to hire you. However, that is not to say that they are accepted everywhere.
For example, it would be unlawful to allow one racial or ethnic group to display tattoos at work but prohibit members of another racial or ethnic from doing so. It would also be illegal for an employer to allow certain kinds of tattoos but not others.
"Chemicals used in tattoo and PMU inks are classified as industrial chemicals in Australia. Their introduction is subject to the same requirements as any other industrial chemical under the Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment) Act 1989."
Tattoos are generally accepted in the workplace as long as they're not offensive, unprofessional or distracting. In fact, nearly 3 out of 4 employers say they don't mind hiring tattooed workers. However, visible tattoos are not appropriate for every profession and may not match your company's vision.
There are no official rules or regulations on whether or not nurses in Australia can have tattoos. Regulations are in the hands of the facility and their individual policies on tattoos in the healthcare industry.
When applying for a new job, tattoo on your forearm should not affect you unless it is openly suggesting any ill behaviour like profanity or violence. You can always wear a long sleeve as that is the norm in job interviews.
The Fair Work Ombudsman concluded Qantas and Emirates' could reject applicants due to their tattoos. If you want to implement a policy or rule which bans employees from having visible tattoos, you should contact an employment lawyer first.
The ADF has a strict policy regarding personal appearance. The acceptability of tattoos and body piercings will be assessed on a case by case basis by Defence Force Recruiting. If you are considering getting either please contact us for guidance as this may affect your application.
Keep your new tattoo covered if working in a dirty or dusty environment, clothing and cream is sufficient. Avoid rubber gloves for a week or two if possible for hand / wrist tattoos. Those who work with their hands and desire hand tattoos should ideally plan 2-3 days off work.
You must be aged 18 or over to get a tattoo. A tattoo studio may ask for proof of age if they think you are under 18. It's illegal to tattoo a person under 18—even if your parent or guardian agrees.
Our latest study shows one in four Australians has a tattoo (25%) – a record high. This is up from 20% in 2018 and 19% in 2016. The proportion of women with a tattoo now exceeds that of men by more than ten per cent (31% women compared to 19% men).
General perceptions
Whether tattooed or not, 3 in 4 all Australians (76%) would discourage or strongly discourage their adult children from getting a tattoo.
To ensure that workplace interactions remain focused on work, organizations may decline to allow tattoos at the workplace. Tattoos might be distracting to some employees. If another employee comes from a more traditional or conservative background, they might be distracted by prominently displayed tattoos.
Yes, teachers in Australia can have tattoos. It's important for teachers to be mindful of school district policies concerning visible tattoos, and make sure that the artwork is not offensive or inappropriate.
Tattoos represent a legitimate form of art for many people or are tied to an individual's ethnic or religious background. Despite wider social acceptance, visible tattoos in the workplace are often regarded as taboo.
Most career and image counselors recommend that you cover up your tattoos if you can. Even if the person you're interviewing with turns out to be fine with ink, you can still distract yourself from the conversation by stressing over whether or not your tats are visible.
Hand tattoos fade faster than tattoos on other parts of your body. Because you use and wash your hands so much, there is constant cell turnover in that skin. While that is true, that doesn't mean hand tattoos are any less permanent. You just have to give them a little more TLC to help them last.
Yes, finger tattoos fade
This is because the skin around the fingers can easily reject the pigment or appear lighter and more blown out than you'd like. We use our hands for almost every activity and the skin around your fingers doesn't have a lot of fat to support the tattoo.