Tattoos: still a taboo for employers?

Dear Oracle

I’m set to graduate with a 2.1 in history before taking the GDL, but I'm just wondering what the view is on tattoos during the recruitment stage for both solicitors and barristers. I plan on getting a tattoo that is visible while wearing a short-sleeve shirt – would this affect my applications?

The Oracle replies

Attitudes in the workplace are slowly modernising and there are some well-known examples of heavily tattooed lawyers working in the United Kingdom. Moreover, if you can cover your tattoo with a long-sleeve shirt or top then even the stuffiest employer cannot complain. We certainly don’t think that a tattoo should put you off trying to build a legal career.

We also asked Sam Hope, graduate recruitment manager at Shoosmiths, for her advice. Sam says: “Tattoos, piercings and alternative looks are more commonly accepted in the workplace than they were 10 years ago, but it is the perceived or real damage to a brand’s reputation which is the concern of most employers. We all know that first impressions do count – whether that first impression is right or not.

“In the same way that ‘smart business dress’ would mean wearing a suit to a client meeting rather than jeans, you’d probably want to conceal your tattoo rather than have it on show. Employers who make outright bans on visible tattoos may seem overly prohibitive and against an individual's personal freedoms to some, but necessary to protect the employer's image to others.

“It depends on which industry you are working in – a general perception might be that more creative industries may be more receptive to body art, but those who are employed in more formal or client facing environments may not be. The perception of alternative looks is changing, but it won’t change overnight, so my advice for aspiring trainee solicitors would be to err on the side of caution.”