It is usually not unlawful for Australian employers to discriminate against employees with tattoos.
Body art no longer has any stigma in the labor market, new research suggests. Michael T.
In Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland, it's a criminal offence for a tattooist to do tattoos for someone under 18 years. In the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales, teenagers under 18 years need to get their parents' permission for tattoos.
In all states but Victoria, physical features such as tattoos are not a protected attribute in discrimination legislation. This means that implementing a policy banning tattoos in the workplace is usually legal.
There is no law against employers insisting that visible tattoos or piercings be covered during working hours or having a no-tattoo policy on hiring. This was evident recently when a young Gold Coast woman was refused a position as a flight attendant with Qantas and Emirates because of a small tattoo on her ankle.
Within the law, there is no legal requirement for visible tattoos to be allowed. The Equality Act 2010 does not prohibit an organisation from asking staff to cover up their tattoos, or even to impose a blanket ban on them, unless it is proven the tattoos are for religious purposes.
Reasons for getting a tattoo
Tattooing is most popular among Australians in the 20 to 39 year age group. According to McCrindle Research, by 2009, one in four Australians of the Gen Y group— those born between 1982 and 2001—considered having “body art” as an ideal way to celebrate their coming of age.
General perceptions
Whether tattooed or not, 3 in 4 all Australians (76%) would discourage or strongly discourage their adult children from getting a tattoo.
About 2% of women have been fired because of a tattoo, and 11% report not receiving a job because of a tattoo. However, a large number of people, 76%, report that tattoos negatively affect the chances of getting a job.
If you can conceal the ink, do so. “Job interviews are already uncomfortable, so don't exacerbate things by having to worry about your tattoos being visible,” says Foltz. Consider wearing a full suit. Accessories like rings and watches can hide certain tattoos, but make sure they don't shake when you move, Foltz warns.
Tattoos have a controversial reputation and are seen as inappropriate in the workplace largely because they have been associated with criminal activity. However, as more tattooed people enter the workforce, many employers don't think tattoos are as important.
There are a few reasons why many workplaces do not allow visible tattoos. The main reason is that tattoos can be seen as unprofessional and make the wearer seem like they do not take their job seriously.
As per the guidelines for tattoos, candidates having any kind of tattoos on the body any body part other than the inner face of forearms i.e. from inside of elbow to the wrist and on the reverse side of palm/ back (dorsal) side of hand are from barred from the recruitment in Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, Indian Coast ...
Three in ten (31%) Australians with tattoos say that they regret, to some extent, getting a tattoo. Almost one in ten (9%) have commenced or looked into tattoo removal.
Our latest study shows one in four Australians has a tattoo (25%) – a record high.
An incredible 20 per cent of Queenslanders have tattoos, new research reveals, but the percentage of men and women getting ink has totally turned on its head.
14.5% of Australians have at least one tattoo. Percentage of men who have tattoos 15.4%. Percentage of women who have tattoos 13.6%.
Words almost as popular as symbols
While for the majority (72%) of tattooed Australians their most recent tattoo was a picture or symbol, for 1 in 5 (19%) it was a phrase or a word. The biggest growth in tattoo design is in the phrase or word category which has seen a massive increase over the last few years.
Men and women ages 20-39 were most likely to have been tattooed, as were men with lower levels of education, tradesmen, and women with live-out partners.
Still itching to get inked? Keep in mind: Of the people we talked to (the majority being teenagers to twentysomethings), a whopping 78 percent regret at least one of their tattoos. And 19 percent of participants with two tattoos regret both.
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.
Although it's illegal for employers to discriminate against employees based on their hair in California, some can – and do – require employees to cover tattoos or piercings.
Like prohibiting employees from wearing t-shirts or requiring employees to wear a uniform, an appearance policy requiring employees to cover tattoos is legal unless it violates laws prohibiting discrimination, such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.