Do You Need To Tell Your Boss Before Getting a Visible Tattoo

Do You Need To Tell Your Boss Before Getting a Visible Tattoo In many ways, peckerls are the ultimate accessory. Theyre deeply personal, aesthetically pleasing...and pretty damn permanent (unless youre willing to commit to a tedious removal process). But if youre working in a buttoned-up field, tattoos located in blatant locations can prove problematic. So if youre determined to get your dream tattoo on your wrist or clavicle or forehead, should you first run the plan by your babo for the all-clear? Fairygodboss consulted a group of professional women about this issue, and they offered the following pointers for white-collar employees yearning for visible ink.Your body, your choice.First of all, we need to point out an obvious fact its 2018, and youre an adult. Asking for tattoo permission from your employer isnt strictly necessary. Success strategist Carlota Zimmermanput it like thisIm not sure a boss ever needs to know about a tattoo. Unless you have an unusually close relationship with said bosslets say that youre a breast cancer survivor, and your female boss is one as well, and youre going to get a tattoo to acknowledge your circumstancesotherwise, just remember your boss is not your parent. Their approval is nice, of course, but not mandatory.While your tattoo isnt ultimately your bosss call, it still makes sense to review your industrys norms and company policies.For certain industries like finance, government, and medicine, tattoos can feel out-of-step with the culture, especially if theyre very blatant and easy to spot. While communications executive Macy Harrell ofThe Posh Connectdoesnt think you need to ask your boss for permission before getting tatted, clarifying company policy on the matter is a courteous and - in some cases - wisely-preemptive gesture. I would certainly take the time to review my companys policy on tattoos before making my decision. But in the veranstaltung that it doesnt violate any policies, I would do whatever the hell I want with MY body, Harrell told Fairygodboss.As far as industry norms go, folks working in casual environments like media or tech probably wont experience blowback for a visible tattoo.But if your business tends toward three-piece suits and understated accessories, youll want to take that into consideration when designing your tattoo and selecting its placement on your body.From a legal standpoint, employers can forbid visible tattoos, so be mindful of that when contemplating pushback.Say youve thought about your industry norms and decided to check in with your boss about tattoos, only to have her veto the idea entirely. As archaic as this position seems, the law doesnt define the forbidding of tattoos as a discriminatory policy. Legal writer Joyce Chou of LegalTemplatestalked us through itCompany dress codes may require employees to deckblatt visible tattoos, which is completely legal. Only if dress code policies are enforced in a discriminatory wayfor instance, an employer who only req uires that women cover their tattoosare they a cause for concern and legal action.Asking for permission from your boss to get a tattoo sounds so traditional, not to mention degrading. Unfortunately, depending on theprominenceof your tattoo, its wise to get your bosss thoughts before moving forward with the decision. For example, consider a large tattoo on your forehead versus a small one on your wristboth are visible, but one is far more prominent than the other. Additionally, a new tattoo may not be an immediate issue, but its possible that your companys dress code policy may change and require covering it in the future. Talking to your boss may shed some light on this.If you have any questions about your workplaces tattoo friendliness, talking to your boss about your plan should clear them up, making it a professionally-smart move.