WARWICK, RI – A local man is gathering support and getting ready to sue his former employer.

Nathan Hardisty was fired from the Walgreens at Hoxie Four Corners in Warwick because he reportedly has too many tattoos.

On Saturday, several people gathered outside the store to protest his firing.

The 26-year-old Warwick man says he was hired with tattoos showing, got great performance reviews and was even promoted to shift manager without any problems until a few weeks ago.

He says the store fired him after one customer complained about his tattoos.

Walgreens wouldn’t comment, only saying it’s their policy to not give out information about employee termination.

Source : WPRI

A hospitality worker who has taken her former boss to the Human Rights Commission after he allegedly made her cover up her moko says she was left humiliated.

Claire Haupini, 32, worked for Graham Peet at the Spit Roast Catering Company in Auckland, but seven months into the job she says she was told to wear a three quarter sleeve shirt to cover her tattoo on her left forearm.

She also alleges that on May 17, 2010, she was told she should not have been hired because of the moko.

She says the alleged incidents left her feeling like her identity had been trampled on.

“I felt very angry, distressed and humiliated by the defendant’s treatment of me because of my moko. I am so proud of what my moko signifies for my family and my husband’s family,” Haupini said at the hearing.

She said the incident had her in tears.

“I cried when I saw my co-workers and had to explain that I had to change because of what Graham had said about my moko. They all disagreed and gave me words of support.”

But under cross-examination, Haupini was told other staff who have been spoken to do not remember her distress over the incident.

Peet denies any discrimination and plans to fight the case. He will give his version of events tomorrow.

Haupini claims she did not get any more work from the company and is now seeking damages for emotional harm and loss of income. If she wins her payout could be up to $10,000.

Moko expert Ngahuia Te Awekotuku, who is giving evidence at the tribunal, says some moko wearers experience stigma and can become “targets of invasive, hostile or offensive behaviour.”

Source : TVNZ

OTTAWA, CANADA – Rob Driskell stepped onto an elevator at the Ottawa Hospital where a female therapist sized him up.

“She asked me, ‘are you allowed to work like that?’” said Driskell.

He had no idea what she was referring to.

“‘With all that paint on your arms,’ (the woman said). She didn’t even know what to call it. That was 15 years ago and I haven’t heard a peep since.”

But now, Ottawa Hospital staff members with tattoos and piercings are being told to cover up — even if they aren’t dealing with the public or food.

A new dress code policy implemented last month requires all staff to conceal visible tattoos and remove “excessive” body piercings.

“I have no problem with the (hospital asking) people with piercings to remove them if they’re in food preparation, or if they’re in direct patient care, but other than that, I think it’s up to individuals to decide what jewelry they want to wear,” said Driskell, who’s worked as a cleaner in the psychiatry unit for 22 years.

The last six have been spent as executive chief steward with CUPE Local 4000.

Driskell has tattoos on both arms. He’s been collecting them for 28 years.

“As part of a protest, I’ve been wearing short sleeves to all the meetings,” he said. “I took this very personal.”

The policy revisions, first tabled in October and implemented in March, ban “visible, excessive body piercings” and require all staff to cover large, visible tattoos during working hours.

In non-clinical settings, body piercings should be “minimal and conservative,” must not pose a safety hazard, and should “take into consideration infection control guidelines.”

“Small, discreet, unobtrusive tattoos can be exposed,” according to the policy.

Ottawa Hospital officials were unavailable to comment Friday, but a statement on the hospital website says the broader dress code policy “strengthens the quality of patients’ interactions with staff, improves infection control, and ensures TOH will continue to portray a professional image.”

Driskell said the hospital executive is trying to sanitize the image of its workers, and the policy, which applies to doctors and nursing staff as well as volunteers, students and contractors, affects a small group of workers.

Some workers who have defied the dress code have been given verbal warnings. Others have been sent home, Driskell said.

Officials at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital said the west-end facility — which does not fall under the Ottawa Hospital umbrella — has no policy prohibiting visible tattoos or piercings.

That’s good news for ink-loving nurses.

“I probably tattoo a nurse a week,” said Silverline Tattoo artist and manager Buzz McDiarmid “I tattooed a nurse today. She got three flowers on her foot.”

Source : Toronto Sun

SWEDEN – The school board in Skövde in western Sweden has backed local teacher Sam Aalto after he was criticized by a local politician, who argued that his surfeit tattoos and spiky hair set a bad example to students.

“The media circus round this has surpassed my wildest expectations,” Aalto told The Local.

Father of five, Sam Aalto, is in his forties and has been teaching at Vasaskolan in Skövde for eight years.

He is described by the school as highly competent and is liked by colleagues and students alike.

The problems started when pensioner and local politician Sture Grönwall, 70, visited the school and spied Aalto’s tattoos, piercings and spiky hair across the school canteen.

“Can a teacher really look like that,” a startled Grönwall asked, according to the Aftonbladet daily.

After speaking to one of the headmasters and not getting the response he was after, Grönwall decided to write to the local school board (Skolnämnden).

In his letter he questioned the example a teacher like Aalto would set for students as well as the values of the school letting someone like Aalto teach there.

The school board however did not share Grönwall’s view, coming out in defense of Aalto and Vasaskolan.

“To let our students solely see adults with no tattoos or piercings and wearing suits would not show them an accurate view of today’s society,” they wrote in their response to Grönwall’s complaint.

Sam Aalto meanwhile expressed surprise at Grönwall’s reaction as well as the ‘media circus’ cropping up around him.

“I have been working here since 2003 and the subject has never been brought up before – no one has ever reacted. I never knew that Grönwall had complained before I found out about the whole thing through the local press,” he said.

According to Aalto it isn’t the fact that Grönwall questioned his look but the way he went about it that is questionable.

“In a democracy everyone has the right to ask the question, it is the moralising aspect of Grönwall’s opinion which I object to,” he said.

Aalto said to Aftonbladet at the time that when his finances allow he will add to his existing body art.

The locals in the rural town of Skövde were meanwhile split on the issue.

When asked by a local TV channel, young people said there should be no restrictions whereas pensioners of a similar age to Sture Grönwall did not like the idea of a tattooed schoolteacher.

Sture Grönwall is meanwhile unrepentant, expressing consternation at the flak thrown in his direction in the press.

“They say that politicians shouldn’t meddle in what teachers wear – but then who should?“ Grönwall asked during an interview with SR.

When asked if this was merely a question of different values for different age groups, Grönwall conceded that it might have something to do with it.

“But brought up in the old style of schooling, I believe that school should be both morally and academically educated and properly prepare children for society and labor market,” he said.

If the response from the school board is anything to go by however, that is exactly what they feel they are doing by defending Aalto.

“I am happy about the support that I have received since the incident and I bear no personal grudges against Sture Grönwall,” Aalto told The Local.

Source : The Local

Dress code policies can stifle job search for those with visible body art, piercings By Peter Panepinto, Times Staff Writer Carroll County Times | 1 comment

While interviewing for jobs, Westminster resident Maegan Dobash didn’t think she would have to cover the colorful array of tattoos on her left arm.

The tattoos stretching from her wrist to shoulder include a brown owl, a pink, blue and purple chrysanthemum, a pink and green elephant’s mouth and a cat’s skull. She even has a mustache on her right pointer finger. She also didn’t think she would have to remove her tongue and lip piercings, nor the plugs that stretch both of her ears.

“As soon as I’d sit down they’d be staring at my tattoos and the jewelry in my mouth and face,” Dobash, 27, said. “They sort of looked at that the whole time instead of my qualifications.”

While tattoos and other body modifications are widely accepted by the public on professional athletes and musicians, tattoo art and piercings covering exposed body parts are still not as accepted in the business world. Though many employers in Carroll County have no policies banning body modifications, some companies prefer if they remain covered for professional and safety concerns.

As the popularity of tattoos and piercings continue to grow, some companies are modifying their policies to address the issue, said William Smith, professor of business ethics at Towson University.

Companies are increasingly writing policies of what’s acceptable and what’s not, but it can be tricky, he said. Smith doesn’t think an employer should conclude that tattoos or piercings may be upsetting to customers without conducting research first. A customer could have more tattoos than the employee, he said.

“The devil, of course, is in the details,” Smith said. “What constitutes professional?”

Some employers may be OK with a woman having facial piercings and certain tattoos but not men, he said. A woman with a nose piercing or a butterfly tattooed on their ankle may not be scrutinized as much as man with an eyebrow piercing and a dragon on his forearm, he said.

The type of job also plays a large part in what kind of body modifications are acceptable, he said.

A candidate for a job at a bank may be “dead in the water” if he or she showed their tattoos and piercings during an interview, Smith said. But tattoos and piercings may not be an issue at a job that requires physical labor or little contact with customers.

“When you’re going at an interview and you’re not familiar with the company, it helps to present yourself in a conservative, cautious manner,” Smith said. “It never hurts to be extra cautious.”

Charles Freeland, owner of Baltimore Street Tattoo in Westminster, said the tattoo industry is more accepted by mainstream society since he began almost 20 years ago.

Freeland said he’s tattooed people from all walks of life. Freeland’s customers range from doctors and lawyers to nurses and high school teachers. One of his customers is a middle school psychology teacher and he’s got a full bodysuit of tattoos, he said. He’s tattooed clients as young as 18 and some as old as 70.

Though TV shows such as Miami Ink educated the public on the culture, he still thinks it could be taboo to some.

“It’s a two-way street,” Freeland said. “You’re going to have some people who like the art, and you’re going to have to endure scrutiny from society.”

Freeland said he’s careful with visible tattoos because a negative stigma still surrounds tattoos and some people are still judged based on tattoos. He doesn’t want to ruin a client’s chance of getting a job in the future.

Policies in Carroll companies

Policies on tattoos and piercings at several Carroll County employers vary. Some don’t mind visible body modifications but some ban them.

Warren Wheeler, owner of Wheeler Kia in Westminster, said customers may perceive exposed tattoos or piercings as unprofessional or offensive so all of his employees must keep them covered.

“I’m under the [impression] that tattoos should be hidden,” Wheeler said. “I just think that’s a good respectable policy for our patrons.”

Employees at The Arc of Carroll County work with people with developmental disabilities and their families every day, and visible body art or piercings on employees has never been an issue, said Don Rowe, executive director of The Arc.

“Tattoos have never been any kind of indicator of what their performance might be,” Rowe said. “Our employees do a fine job of being respectful of our culture.”

Jimmie Saylor, director of human resources for Carroll County Public Schools, said visible tattoos must be covered if they may be offensive to others. Offensive tattoos could be sexually explicit or tattoos containing profanity, she said. Visible piercings that could create any sort of safety issue aren’t permitted either.

“We don’t have a set policy, but we follow the same principle as the dress code,” Saylor said. “You still need to have a professional appearance and be appropriate for the work place.”

A part of the dress code states that employees must be “professional and appropriate to the activities for the day,” she said.

McDaniel College doesn’t have a policy banning tattoos, McDaniel spokeswoman Gina Davis. Neither does Carroll Community College in Westminster, said Sylvia Blair, executive assistant to the college’s president.

“Just as with any matter regarding appearance, if something is inappropriate we will discuss it with the employee,” Blair said.

At the Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster, visible piercings are unacceptable and tattoos must be covered if they are prominent or offensive, said Teresa Fletcher, director of marketing and public relations at the hospital.

“Our policies are established to provide the very highest level of staff and patient safety,” Fletcher said. “In addition, we serve patients from all generations and walks of life and it is our responsibility to ensure that every patient feels comfortable during their stay with us.”

Working with tattoos

After having no success at four different job interviews, Dobash decided to start covering her tattoos and removing her piercings before interviews. Now, she works at the Maryland SPCA in Baltimore, a private nonprofit dedicated to helping animals and people, and has no problem expressing herself. If anything, her many visible tattoos and piercings help spark conversations with customers at work, she said.

“I used to have trouble finding a job, but then I realized that if I took my piercings out and wore long sleeves then I would have a fair chance,” Dobash said. “People judge a person as soon as they see them, so I figure they should see me instead of my tattoos.”

Nichole Miller, animal care and behavior manager at the Maryland SPCA, said Dobash’s tattoos and piercings barely caught her eye. She noticed the body modifications, but she was more focused on the candidate.

“She had experience with other animal-related jobs, and she was very professional so her [tattoos and piercings] weren’t a factor,” Miller said. “It usually isn’t, unless that’s all you see, but we’re pretty flexible.”

The SPCA’s policy allows face piercings but asks that they are a small stud or hoop ring to prevent animals from gripping them, she said. Tattoos are not a problem either as long as they are tasteful, she said.

“Any visible tattoos need to be appropriate enough that if you had the tattoo blown up on a T-shirt it wouldn’t offend anybody,” Miller said.

What may be offensive to some could be seen as art to others, said Mount Airy resident Casey Hicks.

The 34-year-old has a sleeve showcasing the ironic side of Baltimore, which he dubbed as “Harm City.” On his right arm, he has a full sleeve of art stretching from his wrist to shoulder. A black .50-caliber handgun, brass knuckles, and downtown Baltimore’s skyline are some tattoos included in the mural on his arm. “Love Thy Neighbor” wraps around the gun and the brass knuckles. It represents the underbelly of Baltimore, he said.

“I moved to Atlanta and I wanted to get something to remind me where I’m from,” Hicks said. “It may be offensive to some people because of what’s there, but to me it has a deeper meaning.”

Hicks said he gets more compliments than complaints. For interviews, he dresses professionally, and on the job he will “let the tattoos out when the time is right.”

Hicks does not think the sleeve is offensive, he just sees it as art and a form of expression.

Currently, Hicks works for a telecommunications and engineering company in Baltimore. Hicks said he has never been told he’s had to cover his tattoos.

“Not once,” he said, although he has been told to take out the hoops in his ear.

Shannon Clarke owns Starry Night Bakery in Westminster and her job requires face-to-face interaction with customers every day, but that isn’t stopping her from getting more tattoos. Clarke is working on getting both of her arms covered with tattoos and she currently has art ranging from cupcakes and rolling pins to butterflies.

“My tattoos are very visible throughout the day,” Clarke said. “My customers love them, they are bright and colorful and they match my personality.”

Hampstead resident Patrick McGrane says he doesn’t think all tattoos should be covered because they are a form of expression.

He has a Celtic cross on his right forearm, and a several tattoos stretching from his elbow to shoulder such as a dove, a four leaf clover, flames and two shamrocks on his back.

McGrane works at Ridge Engineering, Inc. in Hampstead so his work attire covers the tattoos, but he doesn’t think there’s many reason to cover tattoos in the workplace.

“If someone has a naked girl on their forearm, they should definitely cover it up,” McGrane said. “But if they are tasteful and not offensive, I don’t see any reason to cover them.”

Source : Carroll County Times

CALIFORNIA – tattoo parlorResidents of Hermosa Beach, California, are worried a rash of new tattoo parlors are going to class down the neighborhood.

A group of concerned citizens is fighting tooth and nail — with fliers, petitions, newspaper ads, you name it — to block the proliferation of tattoo studios around town out of fear that it might be detrimental to the community. As one resident explained (get ready for the best quote ever):

“We are going to have six or seven tattoo parlors in a 2-square-mile city — and we only have two supermarkets … This is going to be a playground for the element of people that live that style. We believe that will bring problems.”

Hmmm … exactly what “style” is he talking about do you suppose?

To be fair (and to qualify that quote), this particular group of residents maintains that they’re not against people with tattoos or even, for that matter, tattooing in general. They say they simply want to increase regulations on the businesses — limit hours of operation, put in place more stringent health codes, etc. Which seems reasonable until you consider the fact that the fight to block new tattoo parlors in Hermosa Beach has been going on for a long, long time. In fact, the city even had an ordinance outlawing tattoo studios; six months ago it was struck down by a federal appeals court on the grounds that tattooing was a constitutionally protected right.

Yet, these residents will not be deterred! Here’s another explaining why he’s trying so hard to block new tattoo studios:

“We understand that tattoo parlors have to exist … But there are restrictions that the City Council can adopt. We want the City Council to be protective of the residents and of our property values.”

There’s a fine line between restrictions that are good for the community and restrictions that make it impossible for tattoo artists to be profitable. I’m not sure tattoo advocates are confident that this group is on the side of the former.

Source : Cafe Mom

GEORGIA – City of Covington elected officials corrected an error in the zoning law Monday to allow tattoo parlors within city limits, but one local businessman said it was too little, too late.

When the city’s zoning laws were overhauled in 2008, tattoo parlors were omitted as an allowed use due to an administrative error, said Mayor Kim Carter. William Wyckoff, owner of Elektryk Inkk Tattoos on U.S. Highway 278, was recently notified by his landlord that he would have to move and subsequently discovered the use is not allowed under the current ordinance. Wyckoff has been in business since 2003.

Planning Director Randy Vinson recommended the council amend the ordinance to allow use within the corridor mixed use and light industrial zonings. There are currently two tattoo parlors operating in the city.

But Wyckoff said he didn’t want that to happen. Instead, “We’re going to take our business and leave. I feel like I’m being pushed out … To me you’re just saying you don’t like our kind here,” he said. Wyckoff said he hoped the council didn’t amend the ordinance so that no new tattoo shops will locate in the city and the city won’t get revenue.

“We are pro-business in Covington. It was an administrative error. We need to correct that error. That’s what we’re trying to do here tonight,” Carter responded.

But Wyckoff and his wife stormed out of the meeting as the council was casting the vote to approve the first reading of the amendment to make tattoo parlors an allowed use. The final reading will take place at the council’s April 4 meeting.

In other news, Carter said she would like the council to consider a change in alcohol license fees to a pro rata basis. Currently, the cost is $3,000 and the full year is paid regardless of when a business opens.

Carter said she’d like to see that reduced, for example, to 75 percent of the fee if the business opens after the first quarter, “so it doesn’t discourage new business from opening and doesn’t penalize them.”

Councilman Keith Dalton suggested dividing the fee by 12 to determine a monthly amount and calculating accordingly. So, if a business opened in April for example, the fee would be minus the first three months. The council directed Vinson to research the issue and come back with more information.

Source : Rockdale Citizen

ST LOUIS, MO – Remember Andy Abrams? This nice Jewish boy from University City has been working for the past few years on a documentary, Tattoo Jew, an examination of the inked Chosen. When Daily RFT last checked in with Abrams, he was trying to scrape up enough money to finish his film.

Now Abrams is finally ready to unleash a rough cut on an unsuspecting world. Tattoo Jew will screen at 7 p.m. this Sunday, March 20, at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood. The event is free, and Abrams will be on hand to answer questions about his work and about tattooed Jews in general.

“You don’t have to be Jewish to attend,” Abrams tells Daily RFT. “You don’t have to be inked to attend. You just have to be interested in the stories of people who choose to get inked despite a religious prohibition, the cultural memory of the Holocaust and the myth that Jews with tattoos can’t be buried in a Jewish cemetery.”

There will, however, be a “show your ink and a drink” special, and Abrams hopes to distribute Jewish-themed temporary tattoos.

The screening is the first event in the Brew House Educational Series hosted by the Young Professionals Division of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis. On Wednesday, April 27, author Benyamin Cohen will be at Fallon’s Bar and Grill in Olivette to discuss his book, My Jesus Year: A Rabbi’s Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith, an exploration of why Bible Belt Christians are so darned happy about religion.

Source : Riverfront Times

Sometimes, you gotta wonder: how does a young person cover himself with tattoos and not think about the consequences? Is he just living in the moment? Sure, many artists and idols in popular culture like Lil Wayne and Travis Barker help make the tattooed look appear cool and unique but they also work in an industry where self-expression is not regulated.

For many people who don’t have the opportunity to work as a professional artist or for a forward thinking tech firm, uniforms, dress code and professional appearance are still part of the corporate workplace dynamic. “Sporting a “sleeve”, an arm full of tattoos, or a scorpion across your neck, may work in some office environments but the majority of corporate cultures still frown on tattoos and piercings,” said Diane Gottsman, owner of The Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in corporate etiquette training. “When a college student or young adult is interviewing for a job, a tattoo can make an unfavorable impression, even if the impression is not verbalized.”

It is evident that for many young people, factoring career advancement into their decisions to get tattoos is not a priority. It’s testimony to an evolution of the perspective on career, work and life. “Gen Xers began the modern tattoo trend as body art and many were thoughtful about having tattoos that could be easily covered,” said Diane Spiegel, CEO of The End Result, a firm specializing in corporate training and leadership development. Millennials have taken this art form to the next level and view it as an extension of their brand, who they are, what they believe, how they view the world and many are not concerned that there will be any consequences.”

With so many young people shedding a conservative mentality towards career, how will corporate America and these young people negotiate or change the status quo? Can Lisa still be hired as a corporate lawyer at a top law firm with tattoos coating her left arm and neck? Spiegel believes that workplaces will adjust to cultural changes.
“Corporations are changing because the employee population is changing. This year the first wave of Baby Boomers will be retiring and that is changing the demographics of leadership and management,” she said. “Ten years ago Quick Service Restaurants had a strict policy about not being able to show tattoos for those who worked with the public. Many were asked to cover with ace bandages as a condition of hire. In the last few years, many companies such as Jamba Juice, Starbucks and Pete’s Coffee have backed down on this policy and now embrace those who wear tattoos as they also reflect their customer base.”

Spiegel witnessed how these changes are playing out during an experience with clients. “My team and I were making a presentation for a project to a very conservative organization and we were worried that our web designer who is not only tattooed but body pierced would make a negative impression. We let the team know ahead of time that this web designer was terrific, but he is a scenster and we were concerned. After the meeting, we asked for feedback, worried that Rich our web designer would freak them out and they said, they will take talented contributors in any form they came in.”

In ten years, maybe the issue of body art won’t be an issue worth discussing when it comes to human resources but for now, the millenials who are seeking to expand the definition of professionalism still have to deal with the existing attitudes at many workplaces. “The bottom line is that employers have a right to require their employees to dress in a manner that upholds the professionalism of the company,” said Gottsman.

Source : The Atlanta Post

SARASOTA, FL – The bankers and the tattoo artists are in a sort of aesthetic standoff on the corner of Main Street and Osprey downtown.

Travis Franklin, left, and his wife, Melanie Rochette, own Oddity Tattoo on Main Street in downtown Sarasota.

At the center of the dispute is a 5-foot-round mural depicting a zombie hand with a snake slithering through its fingers. Tattoo artist Travis Franklin painted the image on the exterior east wall of his studio, Oddity Tattoo, about a year ago.

He checked with the city and his landlords before he picked up his paint brushes and nobody complained until mid-December, when new tenants, Florida Community Bank, moved into the building next door.

Franklin and his wife and co-owner, Melanie Rochette, say the bank’s manager first offered to chip in for a new sign for their business that would replace the mural. They declined.

Now, after some crafty landscaping by the bank, the mural is invisible from the bank entrance, hidden by a big fishtail palm and a bougainvillea. Passersby can still see the mural from the sidewalk, though it is certainly less prominent than before.

With the fast growth of shrubs in Florida in springtime, it could be just a few weeks before the first chutes of the bougainvillea begin to overtake the Hand.

Bank officials would not comment, so it is unclear whether they will trim to keep the Hand visible or let it be flowered to oblivion.

Franklin and Rochette suspect that the flowers will be allowed to overtake it. They view it as censorship, pure and simple. And unneighborly, to boot.

“They think it’s hardcore,” says Franklin, 39, bald and bearded, his forearms crisscrossed with spiderwebby tattoos. “It’s not. I know hardcore.”

It is doubtful that City Hall will step in to settle this dispute.

The bank has a right to landscape; just as Franklin had a right to paint the mural. Though it happens to be the logo of the tattoo shop, it is not considered a business sign because it does not depict a service being offered and it contains no lettering.

Franklin and Rochette sent out a call to arms on Facebook last week — “They are censoring our Mural on the side of the building saying that it makes them look BAD!”

“We’re not negative people,” Rochette says. “We really try to be positive. … We’re not about going to war with anyone. What else are we supposed to do?”

A lively discussion has followed, with 38 comments so far.

Somebody suggested a new mural depicting Jesus throwing the moneychangers out of the temple. Somebody else suggested a petition drive.

Franklin and Rochette are not quite sure they are ready to escalate.

“It’s not going to take us down or anything,” says Rochette. “It’s just aggravating.”

Source : Herald Tribune