#5 Job-seekers claim looks discrimination

In the article below, Mary Croll-Wright, 19, is described as being extremely experienced, highly motivated and outgoing - but, due to her tattoos, blue hair, and weight, she has been denied from every hospitality position she has applied for. Unfortunately, not everyone will see past the outward appearance, and Wright says, that she has "had countless job interviews after applying for every job I can find. But as soon as they see me in person, it all goes downhill."

Read the rest of the article below.

In the past two months, Croll-Wright says she had about 20 interviews for jobs in cafes, shops and restaurants around Christchurch. She has been rejected from every one. On the phone, employers are enthusiastic, she says. But when the interview comes "they look me up and down". Some told her she was "not conservative enough", others asked whether she understood nutrition. 

Another young woman, who asked not to be named, has solid experience in hospitality and management. The 21-year-old describes herself as overweight, with tattoos and bright purple hair. She has been looking for a part-time job to finance her studies for the past two months and had about five interviews in shops and hospitality outlets.

"All of them pretty much said they were happy to hire me as long as I dyed my hair."

But she says she would like to keep her hair color because she does a bit of plus-size modelling "and my purple hair shows up really nicely in the photographs".

She says she will keep looking for a job that allows her to keep her style, but might end up dyeing it if she does not find anything.

But is it legal for employer to discriminate against prospective employees because they have blue hair and tattoos? Taylor Shaw partner and employment law specialist Kathryn Dalziel says yes.

"Employers can discriminate on weight, colour of hair and visibility of tattoos."

The answer is less clear when it comes to cultural tattoos, she says. Air New Zealand last year refused to hire a woman who had a traditional Maori tattoo on her forearm.

"She was told to wear long-sleeved shirts to cover it up and that was held to be discriminatory conduct by the Human Rights Tribunal," Dalziel says.

Discrimination based on weight has so far not been considered a breach, but could be considered a cultural or a health issue, she says. In general, as long as the discrimination is not based on gender, race, colour or ethnicity, it does not breach any laws.

"If you want to brand your business, you can prefer the better-looking.

Burger Fuel Christchurch franchise co-owner Malte Herzhoff says he checks potential employees' fingernails. Tattoos and being overweight, however, are "absolutely fine with us".

"A lot of our employees have visible tattoos. They are young people and the tattoos have meaning to them.

"It's more about the attitude than appearance. What I might find attractive, my customers won't find attractive. I'm not the one to judge that."

A Christchurch cafe owner, who asked not to be named, says candidates need to present well. He says weight is not an issue, but tattoos can make him uneasy.

"It's not a black and white thing. If they have tattoos from their fingers all the way up their arms, it's not great presentation for me."

- © Fairfax NZ News

#4 - Hair Discrimination?

Everyone loves to take pride in their looks, and everyone probably has a favorite feature about themselves. Whether it is your eyes, hands, legs, it is yours to be proud of and "modify"" as you please. But one thing that has recently caught my eye is HAIR modification discrimination.

Apparently, no one in the world is pleased when it comes to what others do to express themselves. No one, including those in North Kern State Prison, is satisfied with the way Solomon Stanley chose to express himself through his religion. He worked as a prison guard, and his Rastafarian religion encourages him to wear dreadlocks and a beard, but he was soon harassed by those around him for his choice to style his hair in the way his religion teaches.

In the article, it reads that "his refusal to cut his hair and beard has generated two lawsuits — one in federal court in Fresno and another in Fresno County Superior Court — that accuse prison officials in Delano of religious harassment, discrimination and retaliation."

Not only does this outrageous form of discrimination coincide with body modification, but it also does not allow for freedom of religion. The article goes on to explain that when a new command unit took over the prison, he began being harassed; getting called names and having his job duties changed were enough to cause him so much stress, he received a medical discharge in December 2010. 

Discrimination is a useless, mindless, terrible thing to exhibit onto another human being. Self/religious-expression in the form of modifying your body is not a reason to be targeted for harassment. Hopefully this will end soon enough!

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/02/08/3758271/ex-guards-rastafarian-beliefs.html#storylink=cpy

#3 "Taboo Tattoos"

Tattoos are becoming more common with every generation, but does that mean they are becoming more accepted as well? In almost every video I found, I observed the same things; though more people have tattoos, it is still viewed as unprofessional in the workplace. This method of self-expression is seen very differently depending on the profession, however, but despite this, the more important factor should be how well you are able to perform your job.

In this video, Fox looks into how tattoos are viewed in the workplace and what many of those who are "inked" are doing in order to land that dream job of theirs.

#2 Tattoos or a Job: Pick One.

Tattoos are not for everyone; they are a form of self-expression that show the world a little bit about yourself, while for others, it is just considered an easy way to stay unemployed.

While researching my topic I found an interesting article titled "Injecting ink into the workplace with tattoo discrimination" (click here to read it all!) in which Caitlin Jinks, an intern at the University of Wollongong discusses the unfairness of trying to pick between being yourself and providing for yourself.

In the article, Jinks makes a point in saying that body modifications such as tattoos were once thought to be for sailors, criminals and rebels. Newsflash! Times have changed and tattoos are much more common now, so why are they still not accepted by others, specifically in the workplace? 'Lucky Lauren,' a tattoo artist in Wollongong, stated that some of her clients have had to get their tattoos removed in order to be allowed a position in the Navy or armed forces.

Not only does the concept of tattoo discrimination baffle me, but for it to go far enough to prevent someone from serving for their own country is truly disgraceful. Lucky Lauren also states that "if someone is intelligent, they're loquacious and are able to conduct themselves in a professional manner within the workplace then I don't think tattoos should really be an issue."

Tattoos are with you forever, but do not change a person's personality, morals or ability to perform tasks professionally. Until the world catches up with this, however, there will be discrimination in the workplace.

#1 Introduction to Body Modification Discrimination

Hello all! In this blog I will be discussing the various issues that come along with body modifications in society today. Body modifications could be anything from as small as dying your hair a crazy color, to covering your arms in tattoos. The discrimination that takes place among the brave few who choose to tattoo and pierce themselves is overwhelmingly prevalent in the workplace, school, family life and public in general. While there is definitely a way to be and "look professional," a different appearance does not warrant ostracism or prejudice; I definitely would like to look further into this issue.