Recruitment

Tattoos in the workplace: The UK professions carrying body art taboos

A small majority of employers believe tattoos in the workplace have a negative impact on a workingenvironment, new researchhas found, but with more young UK professionals than ever sporting body ink, could it be time to reassess our attitudes?

The findings, gathered by commercial property agent Savoy Stewart, revealed which industries the public find tattoos most uncomfortable, and in which they were more relaxed about visible body art.

For small business owners, overlooking the three in ten workers aged between 25 to 39 years old carrying tattoos in Britain could significantly narrow the recruitment pool and risk missing out on promising talent.

The study revealed which industries had the most tattooed workers.

Percentage of tattooed workers by profession

• Agricultre: 22 per cent
• Hospitality, tourism: 20 per cent
• Arts and culture: 16 per cent
• Retail: 14 per cent
• Finance and banking 13 per cent
• Healthcare and medical technology 13 per cent
• Professional Services: 13 per cent
• Education and family services: 12 per cent
• Manufacturing: 9 per cent
• Energy, design and construction: 9 per cent
• Information technology: 9 per cent
• Government: 8 per cent

The uncovering of negative attitudes towards tattoos in the workplace also raised a gender question. Male employers were more likely than female counterparts to discriminate against tattooed candidates, while female job seekers, more likely to be tattooed themselves, could be more likely to face a negative bias.

The Police Federation is one organisation leading modernisation. It recently ran a campaign for greater acceptance of tattoos in the workplace, and has since announced new best practice guidelines that seek to provide officers and staff with clear direction on their appearance, so that they present a professional image while also being allowed some self-expression.

Before we reveal which industries carried the greatest tattoo taboos, it’s worth considering how negative perceptions might be formed. The answer could be in subconscious readings of character. Characteristics most commonly associated with those who have tattoos included rebellious, less intelligent? and unhealthy.

The following table from Savoy Stewart indicates public attitudes towards tattooed workers byindustry

Profession	Percentage comfortable	Percentage uncomfortable
Athlete	88 per cent	12 per cent
Chef	81 per cent	19 per cent
Police officer	73 per cent	27 per cent
IT technician	72 per cent	28 per cent
Estate agent	69 per cent	31 per cent
Banker	63 per cent	37 per cent
Doctor	59 per cent	41 per cent
Judge	59 per cent	41 per cent
Nurse	57 per cent	43 per cent
Lawyer	57 per cent	43 per cent
Primary school teacher	49 per cent	51 per cent
Political figure	44 per cent	56 per cent
Air hostess	42 per cent	58 per cent