Laws on Tattoos in the Workplace - Essay Example

Laws on Tattoos in the Workplace Q 1 There is a profound will by employers to ban visible tattoos in the workplace, where there has been divided opinion on the matter. Some quarters are for the idea of employees being allowed to keep their visible tattoos while other believe that having these tattoos is of no consequence thus should be allowed. However, the debate on this essay is based not on whether they should be allowed or not, but rather on the presence of legal backing on the ban or the legal support for the presence of visible tattoos on employees, and the role of the employer on the same. The law supports the presence of body tattoos in visible areas as it is embedded in the constitution that every individual is subject to the universal human rights that cannot be taken away. As such, the tattoos are a part of expression of the individual who has the tattoos, as they attempt to bring a point to the world in the one way they know best. With this in mind, the law supports the presence of these visible tattoos as they are part of the person’s rights and do not violate anybody else’s rights. This is to say that the law prohibits the denial of work or a job based on race, color, ethnicity, gender or religious beliefs, which also translates to the important aspect of the tattoos (Crowe). In relation to this, the law supports the employees to have that which pleases them, but not at the expense of the employer. Aside from this, there is valid support for the ban of visible tattoos in the workplace based on the professional code of ethics and code of dress dictated by the employer. In this case, the employer’s rights take precedence over those of the employee, where the employee should follow the conditions set by the employer. The translation of this is that the law recognizes the independence of the employer, and even the incumbent sovereignty, where one has to submit to the workplace rules. There are distinct precedents that uphold the rights of both the employee and the employer, but set the boundaries as to who takes precedence over the other, and who should submit to the will of the other. With this in mind, the legal fraternity in the United States dictates that the rights of the employer precede those of the employee, in which case the courts have ruled in favor of the employers consistently (Lynn). This is to mean that the employers, according to the law, are legally mandated to set the boundaries for the employees on how much body art they can display. However, the law says that the policies that bar the visible body art should be 1handled in an equitable manner, which means that there should be n discrimination. In conclusion, there is legal backing against visible tattoos in the workplace, where the employer determines how much body art an employee can display. The legal backing is based on aspects of the constitution and the basis of equality, where the tattoo policy should apply to all and not just a select few. Q 2 Dress codes and success on the workplace have a distinct relationship that focuses on the image of the business, which is similar to the way that tattoos reflect the image of a business thus determining success. Workplace success is directly proportional to the success in the workplace based on the occupation that one is in, where there are workplaces that have a dress code requiring casual wear in order to motivate its employees based on their age and preference. With this in mind, the casual dress code in certain technology jobs inspires the success of the business, which is a translation of the success of the workplace due to their relaxed dress code. In addition, a strict dress code that requires employees to be formal at all times is based on the type of business, where there is need to interact with clients in a given setting that if formal. As such, the dress code influence the success of the workplace as it creates an appeal to the clients, which is important for the image if the workplace and the wellbeing of the business(Burleson). Dress code does not only feature the clothes that one wears, but also focuses on one’s grooming, where in this case, there is no divide in the workplace but cuts across all boards. This is to mean that the grooming of an individual does not matter if the workplace is casual or formal, but the employees need to be properly groomed. This is because poor grooming is a translation of a poor dress code that can get one terminated from the job, which is a fail in the workplace for the person in question. Dress code is also directly related to success in the workplace following the presence of popular culture in the workplace, where it is up to the employees to keep up the image of the workplace by being a representation of the beliefs and values of the workplace (Burleson). Being in the right dress code is crucial to ensure that one gets to the top as it is part of the factors that employers look for in times of employment and employment appraisal, where it shows dedication to the workplace and how well one is suited to meet the needs of the workplace. With this in mind, how far one climbs the career ladder is based partly on how he or she is dressed. In addition, it determines not only the level of success in the workplace, but also the presence of a job for the individual in question. This is because the dress code of a workplace is based on laws and rights where the law sides with the employer, by ensuring that the employer dictates the policy of the workplace and the employee does not violate. This translates in employers firing anyone who does not adhere to policies, thus determines the workplace success of the employees in question. In conclusion, dress codes relate directly to success in the workplace, in which the dress code can make or break an employee through the image of the business and the policies. It also determines the success by determining the employment parameters as it dictates the policy of the company in terms of being hired or fired. Works cited Burleson, Donald. “Professional Dress Code tips”. Burleson Consulting. n.d . Web. 27 Mar. 2013. Lynn, Diane. “Laws on Tattoos in the Workplace”. Hearst Communications. n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2013. Crowe, Michael. Are tattoos in the workplace still taboo? USA TODAY. 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2013. Read More