21 August 2012

Tattoo policy in the Public Service?

| LumpySpacePrincess
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Has anyone had any personal experience with tattoo policies in the APS?

I currently work in a government department but am planning to move on.

My current employer has no concern with visible tattoos but I’m a little concerned that I may have to conceal them in another department.

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Tattoos should be the least of any pube’s worries.

I wish Department’s would lay into people who take multiple ciggie breaks every hour and people who spend all day making personal, sometimes intimate, sometimes aggressive phonecalls… so many staff issues, tatts aint one.

Whitepointer10:56 am 22 Aug 12

Numerous AFP officers have tattoos and are visible to the public while on general duties, facial tattoos are not allowed unless it is for religious beliefs. So I can’t see a problem, go for it!
If you get the job celebrate by getting some new ink done, if you don’t get the job maybe it was because you didn’t have enough tatts!!
Cheers

Having worked at PM&C, I assure you that profound eccentricity and social dysfunction is no barrier – as long as you are a brilliant workaholic.

Still, that lets out 99.99% of us.

dpm said :

Pandy said :

…You wont go far (at least in Prime Ministers or Foreign Office) having too many visible tatts…

Oh well, in that case, I may as well end it all now. There’s no point in me going on.
My dream in life was to ‘get far’ in the Foreign Office. Why didn’t someone warn me earlier…???
Hahahahaha!

+1

This is possibly the best reason for getting tattoos I’ve heard in a loooong time.

Pandy said :

…You wont go far (at least in Prime Ministers or Foreign Office) having too many visible tatts…

Oh well, in that case, I may as well end it all now. There’s no point in me going on.
My dream in life was to ‘get far’ in the Foreign Office. Why didn’t someone warn me earlier…???
Hahahahaha!

IMHO having tatts makes you a testosterone induced pushy hippie with BO. I will always think you are strange and wont give you the time of day.

You wont go far (at least in Prime Ministers or Foreign Office) having too many visible tatts, unless you look like Sporty Rice.

So you have been warned

Tootza said :

I work for a department that is currently consulting on draft guidelines that will require that they be covered up whilst on duty.

That won’t get through. What about traditional Maori chin tatts etc?

VYBerlinaV8_is_back said :

aceofspades said :

What about my Prince Albert? Do I have to keep that covered also?

No. No you don’t.

Oh yes you do, at least if you’re anywhere near me.

HenryBG said :

People with tattoos shouldn’t be able to get security clearances. Which means no PS jobs for criminals.

As much as I’d like to simply enter the fray with a similar comment to my co-poster (which are all spot on), I’m going to take the bait this one time and ask:

Why, Henry, should body art preclude someone from obtaining a security clearance?

I assume, with a blanket statement like the one you’ve made, you’d also expect anyone in the military to be ink free, therefore kicking out any who’ve inked with their brothers and sisters in arms and precluding anyone with existing ink from joining?

To the OP…

You don’t suppose having this brainwave would have better occurred before getting inked in a fashion that may inhibit future employment?

Reminds me of this – http://us8.memecdn.com/sorry-we-are-not-hiring_o_180828.jpg

Worked at several departments without issue regarding my tattoos, although they are upper arms only.

HenryBG, you should try harder, mate. You’re efforts really are slipping, and it will be reflected in your performance review.

VYBerlinaV8_is_back said :

aceofspades said :

What about my Prince Albert? Do I have to keep that covered also?

No. No you don’t.

Oh good, I was worried people might judge me by it.

Ahoi-hoi,

I have tattoos on both hands and forearms, and in the 8 years I have worked in the ACT public service, it has never been raised as an issue. Not even slightly.

VYBerlinaV8_is_back1:20 pm 21 Aug 12

aceofspades said :

What about my Prince Albert? Do I have to keep that covered also?

No. No you don’t.

HenryBG said :

People with tattoos shouldn’t be able to get security clearances. Which means no PS jobs for criminals.

I do hope you express this opinion to a Maori with ta moko.

And I had the right accent on that and my computer ate it.

What about my Prince Albert? Do I have to keep that covered also?

Flyinghurts said :

HenryBG said :

People with tattoos shouldn’t be able to get security clearances. Which means no PS jobs for criminals.

While we’re at it, should we stop giving security clearances to people with piercings? Maybe people who smoke shouldn’t get clearances due to their addiction to nicotine? Public servants who drink alcohol might have lowered inhibitions while drinking, can’t risk a security breach there so they should probably be booted out of the APS too.

Does the BG at the end of your user name stand for bigot?

Nah, you’re forgetting Henry is OK with drinking (and drink driving). Didn’t you know? He could drink us all under the table and still qualify on pole at Bathurst! Losers…

oh, and answering the question: i worked in DoHA they had no problem with visible tattoo’s (none that I heard of at least) ….

I have chest, arm and legs tattoo’d and wore a short sleeve top to interview and all through summer

isn’t it some form of discrimination …. or did they change that??

rosscoact said :

Flyinghurts said :

HenryBG said :

People with tattoos shouldn’t be able to get security clearances. Which means no PS jobs for criminals.

While we’re at it, should we stop giving security clearances to people with piercings? Maybe people who smoke shouldn’t get clearances due to their addiction to nicotine? Public servants who drink alcohol might have lowered inhibitions while drinking, can’t risk a security breach there so they should probably be booted out of the APS too.

Does the BG at the end of your user name stand for bigot?

Nah BG stands for troll.

Henry, I’m getting a little disappointed, the passion and ingenuity seems to have gone out of your trolling. It seems like you’re just going through the motions now.

Can we help? If you let it all out we could perhaps come up with a strategy to get you firing on all cylinders again.

+1 Henry it is like your not even trying anymore.

VYBerlinaV8_is_back12:46 pm 21 Aug 12

Jim Jones said :

Flyinghurts said :

Does the BG at the end of your user name stand for bigot?

Yes.

Brain Gap.

rosscoact said :

Flyinghurts said :

HenryBG said :

People with tattoos shouldn’t be able to get security clearances. Which means no PS jobs for criminals.

While we’re at it, should we stop giving security clearances to people with piercings? Maybe people who smoke shouldn’t get clearances due to their addiction to nicotine? Public servants who drink alcohol might have lowered inhibitions while drinking, can’t risk a security breach there so they should probably be booted out of the APS too.

Does the BG at the end of your user name stand for bigot?

Nah BG stands for troll.

Henry, I’m getting a little disappointed, the passion and ingenuity seems to have gone out of your trolling. It seems like you’re just going through the motions now.

Can we help? If you let it all out we could perhaps come up with a strategy to get you firing on all cylinders again.

A reformation perhaps?

Flyinghurts said :

Does the BG at the end of your user name stand for bigot?

Yes.

Flyinghurts said :

HenryBG said :

People with tattoos shouldn’t be able to get security clearances. Which means no PS jobs for criminals.

While we’re at it, should we stop giving security clearances to people with piercings? Maybe people who smoke shouldn’t get clearances due to their addiction to nicotine? Public servants who drink alcohol might have lowered inhibitions while drinking, can’t risk a security breach there so they should probably be booted out of the APS too.

Does the BG at the end of your user name stand for bigot?

Nah BG stands for troll.

Henry, I’m getting a little disappointed, the passion and ingenuity seems to have gone out of your trolling. It seems like you’re just going through the motions now.

Can we help? If you let it all out we could perhaps come up with a strategy to get you firing on all cylinders again.

HenryBG said :

People with tattoos shouldn’t be able to get security clearances. Which means no PS jobs for criminals.

While we’re at it, should we stop giving security clearances to people with piercings? Maybe people who smoke shouldn’t get clearances due to their addiction to nicotine? Public servants who drink alcohol might have lowered inhibitions while drinking, can’t risk a security breach there so they should probably be booted out of the APS too.

Does the BG at the end of your user name stand for bigot?

HenryBG said :

People with tattoos shouldn’t be able to get security clearances. Which means no PS jobs for criminals.

I’d be willing to guess that you wear your pants so high there are sh1t-stains on your collar.

People with tattoos shouldn’t be able to get security clearances. Which means no PS jobs for criminals.

I work for a department that is currently consulting on draft guidelines that will require that they be covered up whilst on duty.

What the stuff. I’m pretty sure Lumpy Space Princess doesn’t have any tatoos.

LumpySpacePrincess11:15 am 21 Aug 12

VYBerlinaV8_is_back said :

Depends on the job and the people you will work with. If the tattoos make your customers or co-workers uncomfortable, your career will likely suffer.

Well I currently work in a department with a lot of staff turnover and I have found most people don’t seem off-put by them. And once you get to know me, people know I’m not scary or anything 😉

Working in hospitality it never seemed to bother any customers. I’ve had people young and old compliment me on them.

One day they’ll be as acceptable as having your hair dyed, till then I hope I can find another accepting workplace!

LumpySpacePrincess11:10 am 21 Aug 12

Flyinghurts said :

It’d probably be fine as long as they aren’t offensive or located on your face. I’ve previously worked with co-workers who had quite extensive tattoos on their arms and it was never a problem. If you can cover them on the off-chance you’ll be interacting with a member of the public, I don’t see why it would be a problem.

The only issue I’ve ever had with the tattoo I have on my arm is that co-workers see it and realise that I’m a geek

I have none on my face and they aren’t offensive at all so hopefully it’ll be ok.
haha, nothing wrong with being a geek 😉

HHR said :

I haven’t experienced any issues in my department. I know of several others there who have tattoos in the same department, some more visible than others, and as far as I know not a word has been said. My department doesn’t deal too much with the public in a face-to-face way, so I’m not sure if that would have an affect on attitudes towards tattoos. I too am moving departments, and given the attitude at my current department, hadn’t even considered it an issue, so thank you for raising the idea. Good luck with the job hunt!

Well hopefully we’ll both be ok! I spent a great deal of time, money and pain getting my tattoos and I like to show them off. Seems a waste to hide them away.
thanks, Good luck with your job hunting too! 🙂

VYBerlinaV8_is_back11:09 am 21 Aug 12

Depends on the job and the people you will work with. If the tattoos make your customers or co-workers uncomfortable, your career will likely suffer.

I haven’t experienced any issues in my department. I know of several others there who have tattoos in the same department, some more visible than others, and as far as I know not a word has been said. My department doesn’t deal too much with the public in a face-to-face way, so I’m not sure if that would have an affect on attitudes towards tattoos. I too am moving departments, and given the attitude at my current department, hadn’t even considered it an issue, so thank you for raising the idea. Good luck with the job hunt!

It’d probably be fine as long as they aren’t offensive or located on your face. I’ve previously worked with co-workers who had quite extensive tattoos on their arms and it was never a problem. If you can cover them on the off-chance you’ll be interacting with a member of the public, I don’t see why it would be a problem.

The only issue I’ve ever had with the tattoo I have on my arm is that co-workers see it and realise that I’m a geek

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