The Impact of Workers' Tattoos and Piercings on Employment: Suggestions for Pragmatic Career Planning

Abstract

What is the impact of workers' tattoos and piercings on hospitality work? While body-art is prohibited in some hotels, it is encouraged in others. Also, an even more ambiguous situation arises when body-art is neither accepted nor prohibited, depending on labour market conditions and managers' individualistic preferences. In this chapter, we explore how this ambiguity imposes challenges on employment and career planning. We first seek to understand how managers' perceptions and decisions concerning worker body-art change in different hotel categories. To do so, we draw on interviews with 25 General and Human Resource Managers in 18 upper market hotels, three lifestyle boutique-hotels and four luxury hotels. Then, we offer pragmatic suggestions on career planning.

Citation

Efthymiou, L., Orphanidou, Y. and Karayiannis, A. (2023), "The Impact of Workers' Tattoos and Piercings on Employment: Suggestions for Pragmatic Career Planning", Broadbridge, A. (Ed.) The Emerald Handbook of Appearance in the Workplace, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 301-316. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80071-174-720230018