In all societies, stereotypes and prejudice do nothing but harm. The workplace is not an exception to this point. There has been an increase in the popularity of body modification. People are no longer limiting themselves to the standard hair colors and untouched skin.
Tattoos and bright colored hair may be fun, but with them come a stigma that can harm a person’s position at a job. There is a stereotype that people with body modification are unprofessional and don’t work well in a job setting. This entirely untrue and harmful stereotype can push aspiring business workers out of their chosen fields.
Body modification does not mean a person is unprofessional. Some of the hardest working individuals I know have sleeves of tattoos or brightly colored hair. They manage their work just as well as someone with untouched skin and natural-colored hair. Body modification shows aspects of a person’s personality that may not be shown otherwise. A Pew Research Center study reported 40 percent of young adults aged 18- 29 have tattoos. As the new generation of workers comes in, the stigma will have to change. A person is more than hair or skin. Professionalism is more than a boring presentation of oneself.
by Baylee Walter
