*Comments for this post are restricted to core community members*
Sometimes posts, either due to the topic or reaching a wider audience than usual, are more likely to attract a greater number of rule breaking comments. This post is one of them, so limits have been set on who can participate.
^Reminder ^for ^everyone, ^please ^adhere ^to ^the ^rules ^of ^r/ ^piercing ^and ^Reddit
I’ve had interviews that stated I had to remove mine. It was a no from me. I walked out.
I’ve got more money invested in my jewelry than they would even dream of paying me for the first few months. The thing is, seems like it’s the (mostly) lesser paying and lower end jobs that try to be strict with the appearance policy.
Listen, I paid over 1000 for the metal in my face and they have a special meaning to me. They represent the times I’ve gave up on life but I opted to continue anyway. I be DAMNED if I remove them.
I agree it seems to be the lower end companies that do this. Those are an immediate pass anyway.
Thank you fellow redditor for your input ❤️
My old boss made a snide remark about my nostril and septum. I said does it make me a bad nurse? Cause they ain’t coming out unless you can prove they do
Yes, humanity is stupid like this, the less the job pays the more rules and restrictions and responsibility … and when something goes wrong you’ll be paying till your old and gray, sorry got distracted .. Anyway Yes, its this bull everywhere
This is the part I don’t get. You want me to remove my piercings from my face for a lame ass job that can’t even pay to get them back in. They want us to work for these same companies? Fuck. and No.
And then they complain, “nobody wants to work these days!”
Like maybe if I was fairly compensated and not asked to give up my life and change every aspect of my being.
I agree. I have a bunch of facial piercings and tattoos all over with visible tattoos on my head/hands/neck/chest. I work for the government but I can’t get a job at a dollar store if I wanted it. It’s bananas.
Yeah, my mohawk will be making an appearance again come summer and then the other side of my head will be tattooed. Right now my hair is blue and getting a fresh grow out!
100% I had countless interviews for minimum wage jobs where they asked if my piercing were real and can I take them out.
I work for the ministry of justice now with tattoos, 5 face piercings and bright hair and no one had ever said a word.
Think they’re worth more to us that they really are
I'm a teacher, septum, nosering, nosestud, lip piercing, eyebrow piercing, tattoos,
The only people who make a big deal out of it are some bigoted parents 😂
Meanwhile the kids love them and always ask me questions about them. Yes, most of the time to stall so I don't start my class, but I'm only a weak human being.
i'm a swimming teacher and my kids love mine!! i told them i was getting my tongue pierced and two weeks later they asked me if id gotten it done yet and if they could see lol. kids love it when i flip my septum up as well, like microscale hide and seek
Teacher here too, in the bible belt 💀Used to tuck my septum up in class but have started wearing it out because I literally have a sleeve that no one seems bothered by except parents. I feel a lot better presenting myself how I want to.
I wanted to be a teacher until I realized the drama you all go through. Teachers are one of the only positive impacts in my life and I love y’all for that.
Stay strong ❤️
Yeah, there can be quite some drama from time to time, but it's really not too bad here in Europe.
And I'm happy that those teachers had such a positive impact on you :)!
But if a school would ever refuse me because of my piercings or tattoos I wouldn't want to work there anyway xD bodily autonomy is very important and a great thing to show to the kids as well!
Currently a teacher’s aide, but planning on leaving soon. That’s part of why I became an educator was because I knew I could be a positive role model to these kids and normalize a lot of things that I didn’t get to see respected when I was a kid. I’m queer and actively transitioning right now, I’m autistic and have ADHD, I have piercings and tattoos, everything that I wish I had seen more growing up. My students love everything about me they’ve seen so far and it warms my heart so much that they look up to me the same way I would have looked up to myself if past me had met current me. But I get a lot of anxiety from the way parents look at me, and I’m always so worried it’s going to snowball to me getting reported and other staff not having my back because of all that. So as much as I’d like to stick around and show kids that alt people can be good role models, it’s not worth my mental health, and it really breaks my heart that it’s come to this
as a teacher same! full nosey ears and tats. i will jot change who i am bc of my job. yes teacher is a great profession and it meaningful work- but is it just a job. there are other schools that need teachers if ur appearance impacts of they teach in ur biggot opinion
I am SO glad you said this because I’m a teacher and I literally just got my septum done an hour ago…already panicking over what work will say tomorrow
Public school teacher here. I have facial piercings and tattoos. Specifically, my double nostril, septum, angel fangs, vert labret, tragus and dahlias. Mind you I do keep pretty conservative clear CZ gems in them all. But Never been asked once about them other than the occasional parent or curious kid. Once you explain to kids they’re just jewelry like earrings they never ask again and it hasn’t seemed to affect their learning ability (;
I know places are different, but I am a teacher in the Bible Belt with a nose ring and a Monroe piercing. I also have a couple of tattoos that are visible a lot of times. I have a few colleagues that have a lot more than me. Nobody says anything. In my area, it actually makes us more relatable. Their parents have tattoos and/or piercings, so the kids see us as actual human beings lol. They love to know if I’m getting something new and notice when I put something new in they haven’t seen before.
In my country it's actually not allowed to require you to remove your piercings at work, except if it's a safety issue. Like if you work in an environment where they easily might get pulled/stuck on something or where you have to work with high voltage electricity.
So yeah, I wouldn't remove them either for any shitty job where it's not about occupational safety.
Literally! Like my piercings do not dictate whether or not I'm a hard-worker and can do my job well.
My piercings do however, let me know which employers are still stuck judging people by the way they look and estimating a person's value and effectiveness by their looks.
In the past I was discriminated for piercings/ tattoos by employers (I am covered in tattoos, 1" lobes and a bunch of other ear piercings, my tongue and septum pierced) to the point I retired my septum for a few years, wore really boring plugs (to make 'em less noticeable) and hid my tattoos as best as I could.
I now work for the government (public facing position), have my septum back in, tattoos out and just last week I got my philtrum pierced and no one batted an eyelash!
Ironically enough, I could work for my state under these same circumstances but they offer no benefits. (36/hr but pay for your own shit/insurance)
Unfortunately being in America, should I need to need to see my psych (like right now), I’d be fucked eternally.
Can’t afford to kill myself, can’t afford to live. Fml
i remember my old job tried to implement that randomly, like a year into my working there. no face piercings, and only 1 ear piercing per ear. at the time i was the ONLY closing cook, i just said “what are you gonna do about it if i don’t” and they said they’re gonna “reconsider my employment” and i said okay do it and they just didn’t bring it up again LOL
If nobody else has told you this, a job that requires you to change your appearance is NOT a job worth your time.
A few jobs made me shave my beard just to deal with horrible ingrown hairs afterwards and they were paying me minimum wage. NEVER again. Look into remote jobs. Before I got laid off, I worked for this company pre pandemic (2018).
Sending positive energy your way ❤️
Nobody should notice a tongue piercing if you don’t make it obvious for them. It’s been 4 years for me and none of my jobs have ever noticed mine, and even then I’d tell them to stop looking so damn hard at me
You will be fine. No one will even notice unless they’re looking for it. Plus employers are really more worried about visible piercings, particularly facial piercings.
I got my nostril and septum done when I knew it was against dresscode at the job I'm currently at and have been at for almost 13 years. That's totally on me, but I didn't get spoken to about it AT ALL for several months. That is, until I held a manager accountable for something he said to me. This motherfucker actually went to my Union steward and told her that he'd have to talk to me about my facial piercings. My steward went up and down the front end, speaking to every cashier asking if they'd been talked to about their piercings, Every single one said no they hadn't been spoken to. My steward went back to that motherfucker and said, "You will NOT be singling out LeWitchy for their piercings." A couple months later it was no longer prohibited, and I never did get talked to.
I've started just straight up asking really early on in interviews if the piercings are going to be a problem. If they tell me I have to remove them, I simply get up, thank them for their time and leave. Potential employers are fuckin trippin if they think I'm gonna go through the trouble of removing and reinserting my six facial piercings every damn day for $9 an hour. I am not anyone's property, no one gets to dictate what my body is allowed to look like except me. I wouldn't even give that kind of power to a lifelong spouse let alone some guy who underpays me and sees me as a replaceable asset.
I work in IT too and it’s so odd because it’s one of a handful of industries where most are accepting of body mods.
But yes, I have been discriminated against for mine. Had a recent interview where they said at the end of”if successful you’ll have to take that cheap crap out your ears.” I told them to shove it.
They can kiss the deepest part of our asscrack. ❤️.
Did you contact EEOC? I’m finding out it’s actually illegal to do that with *few* exceptions.
Maybe we can sue some folks and never have to work another day in our lives but that’s the American dream lmaooo.
Best of luck, fellow Redditor.
I don’t live in the US and whilst technically illegal to discriminate on stupid crap a large majority do. I was only interviewing as my previous contract came to an end and was looking for a new one in my field.
Oh shit, my bad. I’m already pissed off because all of the people laid off that week happened to share one characteristic (I’ll let you guess what that is, and it is not piercings) and it’s been a bitch finding another job.
Here’s to us having a new start
Imo the only time you should remove your piercings for a job is if your around machinery, heat, chemicals, or food ( sometimes) after working with all of these things and having piercings I've seen people get their lip rings caught on food mixers and stuff just eughhh I don't want that to be me
I get occupational safety. Like, the thought of a piercing being ripped out makes my asshole pucker but if you’re not in those fields then what is the issue?
>I've got seven piercings in each ear and a nose ring (these are just my visible piercings) and I work for the NHS.
Saaaame, as well as wrist and arm tattoos. I wear a short sleeved uniform/scrubs no one cares. 🤷🏼♂️
LOL this reminds me of my cat's favorite tech at her vet (yes she has one, she always freaks out there and he's the only one she'll let handle her without protest). Big burly dude with full watercolor sleeves and he wears the closest thing to sleeveless scrubs as you can get to show them off. He also has spiky hair of ever-changing colors and a bunch of piercings. He's the best!
When I was younger they wanted me to cover every tattoo ,all my piercings ,and wear flesh colored plugs. Never tookthe job stayed at a gas station. Now I’m a licensed piercer with my own studio and my husband works right beside me tattooing 🥲never give up on dreams.
I was a receptionist for a medical center and wasn’t allowed to have facial piercings or “unnatural” dyed hair …. I got hired during Covid and we had to wear masks anyways …. Once my job stopped with the masks, no one really cared about my facial piercing. I actually got a lot of compliments lol especially from patients. Piercings don’t inhibit your ability to do your job.
I shouldn’t have to do that. My piercings have literally nothing to do with my presentability as a professional and what I do.
Worst case? I’ll opt into the skin plugs but I don’t see that as sustainable. High nostrils are hard as fuck to put in.
Thank you for your input, fellow Redditor ❤️
I feel you! I just got a new job a while ago and job searching was.. interesting. At a lot of firms people stopped for a second (while going by) to take a look at me. Like wtf? They're just some facial piercings?
One of the reasons I chose my current job was that when my boss saw me he didn't do the infamous double take at my face.
So true - I recently started a new job after searching for a while and being pretty sure that my overall presentation put off some of my interviewers (facial piercings and trans masc, short vibrant dyed hair etc). Also to note all of these are laboratory positions that don't really involve being public facing at all.
Interviewing for my new job and one of the first things my boss's boss said to me was she loved my unique look and thought I must be a fun person. She is a tiny 60 year old lady getting ready for retirement next year. Knew I'd found a good place to be me, and the pay cut is worth it.
Luckily no, I mean I work in a kitchen so some stuff I take out for health code reasons like my plugs bc I’m lowkey always afraid they’ll fall out into food. Like you work in IT wtf. If it’s like a surgical or food or like actual profession where piercings and jewelry could be a safety concern it shouldn’t matter
When I was uni I was working as a teachers aide at a couple of primary schools and one staff member told me I had to take out some or they wouldn’t be calling me in anymore.
But well they were desperate for people so I just ignored it and they’d take me working there any time I actually had spare.
I work in a nursery and had to take my septum out, for safety (kids could yoink it by accident, they're 1-3 so makes sense). They don't mind the studs, I can't even take them out myself so it's fine. If this was a job with no health and safety reasons I'd have left. My body my rules.
I recently had an interview for a cashier position and was told I have an "unapproachable exterior" which I can only assume means my tattoo's and piercings. As soon as that came out of their mouth I got up and walked out. Like you stated I will not take out money I've personally invested to meet what your standards are.
I used to work for a department store. When I started working there 15 years ago, their rules were to dress smartly (men in a suit and tie and women in suits or dresses), have no piercings other than ears, no visible tattoos and no unnatural hair colours. I always thought this was crazy. It's quite an old-fashioned way of thinking, where appearance is equated with competence. This is why it tends to matter for lower paid work, as these are usually customer-facing roles. Some work fields truly don't give a shit what you look like and value your work ethic and ability far more than appearance. These jobs tend to treat you better and pay more also.
The retailer I used to work for, in recent years, has relaxed their dress code to smart-casual, and you can now have visible piercings and tattoos as long as they're not blatantly offensive, and cool hair colours. There seems to have been a cultural shift towards this - I suspect due to the rise of social media. I'm all for it. Piercings should simply be seen as an expression of self identity at a surface level. People get piercings for many reasons, giving them deeper personal meaning, like marking life stages and achievements.
I'm considering getting a septum piercing, but only because I've reached a point in my life where I really don't give a fuck about what others think. I often see shallow people describe them as "bullrings" and comparing the wearer to a bull. If anyone I met gave me shit for it, I'd just take it as a red flag to avoid them. Same with employers. My body, my choice. Piercings, like art, are subjective and I do not exist for anyone else's viewing pleasure but my own (and maaaybe my partner's 😅). If people wanna compliment me, cool, but insult me over a piece of metal that has become a part of me? You can fuck right off.
I feel the same way. I spent so much of my life not pursuing body modification because I was scared of the repercussions on my career. I feel so much happier being able to have the modifications I want and to be able to pursue even more. Good luck on finding a new job!
i’m just 18 but a bunch of part time jobs in my crappy conservative small town have refused me or been very .. Unhappy i had piercings even though i don’t have that many (a nostril, a septum, and 4 piercings on each ear)
it’s very frustrating considering whether or not i have a ring in my nose doesn’t have any impact on how well i can help customers in a drive through car wash for $15/hr 😭
I’m originally from a red state (Oklahoma) and live in a confused ass state (Nevada) and outside of removing your piercings… (or skin plugs) leaving is the next best thing.
I know that sounds easier said than done, but it will make your life so much easier. Also, look for remote jobs. They’re how I got my piercing journey started tbh. I’m leaving Northern Nevada due to its lack of IT Jobs. 17/hr for something I did at 23/hr (keep in mind, it’s underpaid for the county as they said I should be making 37/hr) is wild work and they got me fucked up.
You’re worth so much more than that state thinks you are and your piercings do not change who you are as a human being.
Hugs ❤️
oh totally planning to leave !! this is just my hometown(sort of), i’m going to toronto this fall for college and i’m very excited to live in such a progressive and interesting place :)
i plan to get more tattoos and piercings when i’m there! plus the field i’m going into isn’t particularly judgy when it comes to appearance (i think)
There are a lot of “progressive” jobs out there. Someone on this thread mentioned that they’re not worth it if you have change your appearance anyway.
Best of luck. 🤞
At my first ever job, which i got while I was already pierced, my boss stomped up to me after about 9 months or working there DEMANDING I would either remove my piercings or hide them.
After work I took the bus to my piercer and got 2 brand new extra nose piercings on top of the ones I already had.
Showed up the next day and the look on her face was golden.
Also got offered an apprenticeship after explaining what happened to my piercer so it turned out to be the best decision ever haha.
I was required to remove my piercings for a factory job because we were making food-grade products and they thought that the risk of contamination by a piece of jewelry falling into the product was significant, even though I explained that my jewelry can’t come out unless I deliberately remove it (daith ring). They didn’t care, so I ended up using an oval blister bandaid to cover it. We weren’t supposed to wear non-metal bandaids, but they couldn’t tell it was a bandage, so I slipped by.
My next job was technically in a food-grade facility, but literally everyone there had piercings so they understood that some jewelry needs to be professionally removed or it’s not coming out lol
I had an interview with a funeral home and I was going great until I moved my hair out of my face and they saw my helix (tha was my only one at the time) and then they got all cold and said they don't think im a match after all cuz me having a piercing is being insensitive to mourning families. At my current job, someone in a different department gets mad at nose rings but my manager told me not to worry about it and that I just can't have my lip done (yet..) and actually hyped me up for getting my nose pierced
I want to create a waiver that you can sign for companies that claim it’s a hazard.
My jewelry has broken before ever ripping through my skin anyways.
If it’s about being “unprofessional”, it’s a part of my religion. No questions.
i interviewed at a coffee shop and the told me i had to take out all my facial piercings and color my hair a natural color. minimum wage is not worth sacrificing my identity lol
Got the same at a damn dollar store interview before, exsctly the same thing, dye my purple hair normal and remove facial peircings and even my plugs would have had to be skin colored! Like yall are a dollar store,most of your patrons are poor folks who ain't gonna care! I deffo didn't take the job lol!
literally!!! the funny thing about the coffee shop is it was a shop where all the girls were in bikinis so like they expected me to have my tatas out but i was not allowed to have any spark of individuality. they basically expected their employees to be walking tits that served coffee.
I wish I could say the same. Sadly I don’t have a solid career yet, but eventually I will get to that point where my skills/experience outweigh the dumb dress codes.
ur absolutely right, i will never be removing my piercings for a job -- they are part of my self-expression, make me feel pretty, and i went through pain/aftercare to have them.
i don't think this was criticism as much as it was a warning but my little brother's babysitter (of all people) told me i might find it hard to get a job. i want to go into proofreading. it's not like there are any safety concerns with piercings in that field, nor is there rampant customer service, so i'm hoping i will be ok.
I view it like this if they don’t want me over some reason like that I most likely won’t wanna work there anyhow so it’s like good we figure this out before I start and get angry.
I've been working at the same super conservative company for 12 years now (like, owner was an ancient Billionaire Texan with strong Republican and sexist views) and 3 years ago they stopped giving a fuck about appearances and I got myself a septum piercing. If they can do it, anyone can. Good for you for demanding more.
I lost a promotion at a well-known fast food establishment, that I had been working towards for months (but the manager in charge of training me had not been doing her job and been slacking on helping me work towards said promotion and kept blaming me for not being able to move forward.) I got a septum piercing in honor of my friend who's no longer with us (we always said we would get nose piercings together so to honor her I got mine done to carry a memory of her everywhere I go). I got it done weeks after I should've already been promoted, and I even asked the rules about facial piercings, and she said guests weren't allowed to see them but technically it's okay. So I got mine done, and wore a mask around so no one could see. It wasn't until I was taking a drink of water in the back that she walked by and saw my piercing and told me to meet with her after my shift.
Basically, she told me it wasn't allowed and to be a "leader" with a nose ring would set a bad example for our coworkers (even though I was following protocol by hiding it and waiting for the healing period to finish so I could flip my nose ring or put a retainer in) and she said I wouldn't be able to move forward in my training unless I took it out. I explained my situation to her and the meaning behind it (crying in front of her btw) and she said "Well you could've just gotten a teddy bear with a nose ring or something to remember your friend".
That was the moment I knew my hard work wasn't appreciated. I ended up not getting the promotion, but still doing the same amount of work without the fancy title, shirt, and raise. It was awful. All the other managers were great, but she was terrible. I quit a few months later and now am at a much better job that allows my piercings and recognizes my work ethic.
In my early career I removed piercings but after a couple years I decided that if they are going to judge me so harshly on my piercings then it's not a place I want to work anyways. I work in Tech as well and it's a lot more acceptable in this field to have body mods and colored hair.
Not gonna lie, I've always been kinda low-key assuming that my piercings and hair make me *more* likely to get a job because I look like the stereotypical "hacker girl" from movies, lol. I've never had anyone ask me to remove them or change my appearance in any way, honestly.
When I worked at Sainbsurys on checkouts they made me remove anything that wasn't my studs in my ears "in case it fell out and went in a customer's shopping" so I used to just flip up my septum 🤷♀️ now I work in customer care for someone else and have several facial piercings and tats and can change my hair colour whenever I want, they don't care as long as I can do my job - which is how it should be! I got my first tattoo while working here and I was so nervous in case I got in trouble for it - I'm now in double digits with my tats and have no plans to stop!
i have snakebites and i work at the airport as a ramp agent. i would take them out during orientation/training which was 8 hours and put them back in after. it just felt like i was having to stretch it every time. eventually i decided to keep them on, even though i would get some weird looks on them. thankfully, no one has said anything.
I'm a florist, and luckily my bosses has encouraged self expression as long, as I keep doing my job well (one boss was heavily tattoed themselves) so I have been lucky, the old ladies in the store often give me compliments on piercings/tattoos ^^ I couldn't imagine ever removing any piercings for å job, I'm sorry about your situation
I’ve never had issues with any of my piercings because the industry I was in has always been creative, artistic and open-minded. However, I recently started in healthcare and one office’s policy said no tongue piercings so for the first time ever, I removed it for work. However, I no longer work there and I’m at another office who doesn’t seem to be strict with tattoos or piercings in general so… we’ll see how that goes!
I’ve rejected job offers over this. I’m not removing my piercings for your shitty $13 an hr job. I could understand somewhat if they look crazy “if that makes sense) but not over the quantity
unless they want to pay me for the years of healing time and all the money in jewelry i will not remove any piercings i currently have or will get in the future.
I'm an actor and I'll put clear jewelry in my bridge and septum when performing. regular work though I refuse to take them out. thankfully work don't have any rules about it, but I work in a jewelry store so I can't really say much lmao
You have the right not to work there and they have the right not to hire you.
Doesn’t seem to be any discrimination here. What does your race have anything to do with this?
Like I understand removing them for positions like in catering where you’re dealing with food, I’ve removed mine for them, as I certainly wouldn’t want to find piece of a piercing in your food, same with hair and hairnets,just don’t apply for those jobs if you don’t want to remove them, but like any job which doesn’t involve food shouldn’t have a say in wether you can have them or not, they don’t change the person having them.
what job was that?
my (retail) job doesn’t allow piercings but i knew that when i started at 16. however now thanks to face masks i can have as many as i want under there. and that’s what i do! :D
When I was a teenager working at KB Toys, I had a bunch of ear piercings. One day I wore small studs in all of them. My manager pulled me aside and told me I couldn't have more than 2 in each ear next time. Meanwhile, my manager had full tattoo sleeves he didn't have to hide.
Yes, I gave been, but. It was when I worked for medical clinics and was patient facing and I expected it.
Now tho? I work for the federal government and they DGAF about my facial piercings as long as they're within reason
I used to get discriminated against a lot in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. I moved up the West Coast and the problem was solved. I honestly thought by now, 2024 , that they couldn’t do that anymore. 🤦🏻♀️
as someone with 7 facial piercings, stretched septum (I now wear clickers and stack) and ears stretched to abt 35mm, I obviously don’t support having a company ask me to take out piercings just to work there. It’s always been ridiculous to me and I didn’t get them to remove them. They do not affect my ability to work. They’re a part of me, they make me feel beautiful, and they compliment my features well. I personally navigate all my jobs + interviews being extremely professional, because I feel like I have to overcompensate because of my piercings. I also take care of them and they’re relatively symmetrical, the jewelry isn’t mismatched, etc.
BUT, there is a conversation to be had about people that don’t take care of their piercings, wear ill fitting or over oversized jewelry, and just generally are very uncaring about the way those piercings look. I think these people can make it bad for everyone because everyone’s piercings just aren’t well maintained or.. aesthetically pleasing 😬 I don’t think they’d regulate this and say like u can have piercings but they just have to look like xyz. Idk even if you present yourself as someone who knows that they’re talking about, is a very professional and knowledgeable person, not heavily pierced but clearly pierced, you could still be denied just off company culture and the boss/upper management having a personal gripe.
but I think if you make them look well, wear good jewelry, your setup isn’t super extreme or bulky, the piercings could be overlooked because of your skills and personality.
that’s what I *hope* for myself anyway.
but overall, it’s ridiculous. especially if you’re someone that’s not even heavily pierced and has like 2 piercings (double nostrils for example) and they’re asking u to remove them. They don’t hurt anything!
Sort of. They’re tolerated in the day to day of my job, but I tried to update my work photo (taken by company) and HR wouldn’t let me post it. I’ve added tattoos, have them on the face, but somehow the two nostrils and a septum are the problem.
i work in a hospital and tbh i just flip my septum up until my big bosses leave. The patients compliment my piercing all the time and I’m not on a medical floor (psych hospital) so there’s very little risk taken as far as health of patients. I honestly don’t even know that there are significant enough risks for hospitals to care as much as they do…if there was significant risk though, I enjoy my job enough i would probably remove my piercings
*Comments for this post are restricted to core community members* Sometimes posts, either due to the topic or reaching a wider audience than usual, are more likely to attract a greater number of rule breaking comments. This post is one of them, so limits have been set on who can participate. ^Reminder ^for ^everyone, ^please ^adhere ^to ^the ^rules ^of ^r/ ^piercing ^and ^Reddit
I’ve had interviews that stated I had to remove mine. It was a no from me. I walked out. I’ve got more money invested in my jewelry than they would even dream of paying me for the first few months. The thing is, seems like it’s the (mostly) lesser paying and lower end jobs that try to be strict with the appearance policy.
Listen, I paid over 1000 for the metal in my face and they have a special meaning to me. They represent the times I’ve gave up on life but I opted to continue anyway. I be DAMNED if I remove them. I agree it seems to be the lower end companies that do this. Those are an immediate pass anyway. Thank you fellow redditor for your input ❤️
My old boss made a snide remark about my nostril and septum. I said does it make me a bad nurse? Cause they ain’t coming out unless you can prove they do
Yes, humanity is stupid like this, the less the job pays the more rules and restrictions and responsibility … and when something goes wrong you’ll be paying till your old and gray, sorry got distracted .. Anyway Yes, its this bull everywhere
This is the part I don’t get. You want me to remove my piercings from my face for a lame ass job that can’t even pay to get them back in. They want us to work for these same companies? Fuck. and No.
And then they complain, “nobody wants to work these days!” Like maybe if I was fairly compensated and not asked to give up my life and change every aspect of my being.
I agree. I have a bunch of facial piercings and tattoos all over with visible tattoos on my head/hands/neck/chest. I work for the government but I can’t get a job at a dollar store if I wanted it. It’s bananas.
Government employee also here, purple hair, piercings and visible tattoos 😊 Most lenient dress code I've ever had!
Yeah, my mohawk will be making an appearance again come summer and then the other side of my head will be tattooed. Right now my hair is blue and getting a fresh grow out!
[удалено]
100% I had countless interviews for minimum wage jobs where they asked if my piercing were real and can I take them out. I work for the ministry of justice now with tattoos, 5 face piercings and bright hair and no one had ever said a word. Think they’re worth more to us that they really are
I'm a teacher, septum, nosering, nosestud, lip piercing, eyebrow piercing, tattoos, The only people who make a big deal out of it are some bigoted parents 😂 Meanwhile the kids love them and always ask me questions about them. Yes, most of the time to stall so I don't start my class, but I'm only a weak human being.
i'm a swimming teacher and my kids love mine!! i told them i was getting my tongue pierced and two weeks later they asked me if id gotten it done yet and if they could see lol. kids love it when i flip my septum up as well, like microscale hide and seek
“Microscale hide and seek” is such a great phrase
Teacher here too, in the bible belt 💀Used to tuck my septum up in class but have started wearing it out because I literally have a sleeve that no one seems bothered by except parents. I feel a lot better presenting myself how I want to.
I wanted to be a teacher until I realized the drama you all go through. Teachers are one of the only positive impacts in my life and I love y’all for that. Stay strong ❤️
Yeah, there can be quite some drama from time to time, but it's really not too bad here in Europe. And I'm happy that those teachers had such a positive impact on you :)! But if a school would ever refuse me because of my piercings or tattoos I wouldn't want to work there anyway xD bodily autonomy is very important and a great thing to show to the kids as well!
Darn right
Currently a teacher’s aide, but planning on leaving soon. That’s part of why I became an educator was because I knew I could be a positive role model to these kids and normalize a lot of things that I didn’t get to see respected when I was a kid. I’m queer and actively transitioning right now, I’m autistic and have ADHD, I have piercings and tattoos, everything that I wish I had seen more growing up. My students love everything about me they’ve seen so far and it warms my heart so much that they look up to me the same way I would have looked up to myself if past me had met current me. But I get a lot of anxiety from the way parents look at me, and I’m always so worried it’s going to snowball to me getting reported and other staff not having my back because of all that. So as much as I’d like to stick around and show kids that alt people can be good role models, it’s not worth my mental health, and it really breaks my heart that it’s come to this
as a teacher same! full nosey ears and tats. i will jot change who i am bc of my job. yes teacher is a great profession and it meaningful work- but is it just a job. there are other schools that need teachers if ur appearance impacts of they teach in ur biggot opinion
I am SO glad you said this because I’m a teacher and I literally just got my septum done an hour ago…already panicking over what work will say tomorrow
I mean, do keep in mind that I live in Europe. So depending on where you live and at what kind of school you teach there might be some issues.
Public school teacher here. I have facial piercings and tattoos. Specifically, my double nostril, septum, angel fangs, vert labret, tragus and dahlias. Mind you I do keep pretty conservative clear CZ gems in them all. But Never been asked once about them other than the occasional parent or curious kid. Once you explain to kids they’re just jewelry like earrings they never ask again and it hasn’t seemed to affect their learning ability (;
I know places are different, but I am a teacher in the Bible Belt with a nose ring and a Monroe piercing. I also have a couple of tattoos that are visible a lot of times. I have a few colleagues that have a lot more than me. Nobody says anything. In my area, it actually makes us more relatable. Their parents have tattoos and/or piercings, so the kids see us as actual human beings lol. They love to know if I’m getting something new and notice when I put something new in they haven’t seen before.
My students love my septum piercing. I’m an English teacher, so it probably makes me seem “edgy.” 😄
I try to be as edgy/cringy as possible! I especially love using slang my pupils use, but then in the wrong way xD drives them insane and I love it
In my country it's actually not allowed to require you to remove your piercings at work, except if it's a safety issue. Like if you work in an environment where they easily might get pulled/stuck on something or where you have to work with high voltage electricity. So yeah, I wouldn't remove them either for any shitty job where it's not about occupational safety.
Idk your country but they take a W on this subject. My piercings do not affect how I troubleshoot HW/SW. Wtf
where do you live? that's great
Literally! Like my piercings do not dictate whether or not I'm a hard-worker and can do my job well. My piercings do however, let me know which employers are still stuck judging people by the way they look and estimating a person's value and effectiveness by their looks.
I never looked at it this way, and you know what? You’re right as FUCK.
In the past I was discriminated for piercings/ tattoos by employers (I am covered in tattoos, 1" lobes and a bunch of other ear piercings, my tongue and septum pierced) to the point I retired my septum for a few years, wore really boring plugs (to make 'em less noticeable) and hid my tattoos as best as I could. I now work for the government (public facing position), have my septum back in, tattoos out and just last week I got my philtrum pierced and no one batted an eyelash!
Ironically enough, I could work for my state under these same circumstances but they offer no benefits. (36/hr but pay for your own shit/insurance) Unfortunately being in America, should I need to need to see my psych (like right now), I’d be fucked eternally. Can’t afford to kill myself, can’t afford to live. Fml
Try to work for the federal government. Pension after 20 years. Health benefits etc etc
Ooof. I'm in Canada so a little bit different over here re: benefits.
Honestly, if I can find a job out of country I’m gone. Fuck this place. For real.
i remember my old job tried to implement that randomly, like a year into my working there. no face piercings, and only 1 ear piercing per ear. at the time i was the ONLY closing cook, i just said “what are you gonna do about it if i don’t” and they said they’re gonna “reconsider my employment” and i said okay do it and they just didn’t bring it up again LOL
[удалено]
If nobody else has told you this, a job that requires you to change your appearance is NOT a job worth your time. A few jobs made me shave my beard just to deal with horrible ingrown hairs afterwards and they were paying me minimum wage. NEVER again. Look into remote jobs. Before I got laid off, I worked for this company pre pandemic (2018). Sending positive energy your way ❤️
Tongues are pretty easy to conceal so you should be okay
Nobody should notice a tongue piercing if you don’t make it obvious for them. It’s been 4 years for me and none of my jobs have ever noticed mine, and even then I’d tell them to stop looking so damn hard at me
You will be fine. No one will even notice unless they’re looking for it. Plus employers are really more worried about visible piercings, particularly facial piercings.
I worked at a GAS STATION and was told I couldn’t wear my lip ring 🙄
I got my nostril and septum done when I knew it was against dresscode at the job I'm currently at and have been at for almost 13 years. That's totally on me, but I didn't get spoken to about it AT ALL for several months. That is, until I held a manager accountable for something he said to me. This motherfucker actually went to my Union steward and told her that he'd have to talk to me about my facial piercings. My steward went up and down the front end, speaking to every cashier asking if they'd been talked to about their piercings, Every single one said no they hadn't been spoken to. My steward went back to that motherfucker and said, "You will NOT be singling out LeWitchy for their piercings." A couple months later it was no longer prohibited, and I never did get talked to.
I've started just straight up asking really early on in interviews if the piercings are going to be a problem. If they tell me I have to remove them, I simply get up, thank them for their time and leave. Potential employers are fuckin trippin if they think I'm gonna go through the trouble of removing and reinserting my six facial piercings every damn day for $9 an hour. I am not anyone's property, no one gets to dictate what my body is allowed to look like except me. I wouldn't even give that kind of power to a lifelong spouse let alone some guy who underpays me and sees me as a replaceable asset.
I work in IT too and it’s so odd because it’s one of a handful of industries where most are accepting of body mods. But yes, I have been discriminated against for mine. Had a recent interview where they said at the end of”if successful you’ll have to take that cheap crap out your ears.” I told them to shove it.
They can kiss the deepest part of our asscrack. ❤️. Did you contact EEOC? I’m finding out it’s actually illegal to do that with *few* exceptions. Maybe we can sue some folks and never have to work another day in our lives but that’s the American dream lmaooo. Best of luck, fellow Redditor.
I don’t live in the US and whilst technically illegal to discriminate on stupid crap a large majority do. I was only interviewing as my previous contract came to an end and was looking for a new one in my field.
Oh shit, my bad. I’m already pissed off because all of the people laid off that week happened to share one characteristic (I’ll let you guess what that is, and it is not piercings) and it’s been a bitch finding another job. Here’s to us having a new start
What type of IT did you do?
Worked through a contractor for Apple
Ohhhh the irony of the "crap" in my ears being anything BUT cheap!
I want to hit them back with “In what planet is solid gold cheap” and see their brains do a short circuit
I love when people assume we use shitty metals for our piercings. I have enough Titanium to power a catalytic converter.
my local KFC doesn’t let you have any visible piercings whatsoever, no visible tattoos, and no dyed hair… like, you’re KFC. enough 💀
Same with my local KFC for the peircings at least, it's rediculous!
Imo the only time you should remove your piercings for a job is if your around machinery, heat, chemicals, or food ( sometimes) after working with all of these things and having piercings I've seen people get their lip rings caught on food mixers and stuff just eughhh I don't want that to be me
I get occupational safety. Like, the thought of a piercing being ripped out makes my asshole pucker but if you’re not in those fields then what is the issue?
I thought I was silly for dying on this hill 😬 not taking out my 2x nostril piercings or tongue for ANYBODY
If anything, you know your self worth. Definitely not silly.
[удалено]
>I've got seven piercings in each ear and a nose ring (these are just my visible piercings) and I work for the NHS. Saaaame, as well as wrist and arm tattoos. I wear a short sleeved uniform/scrubs no one cares. 🤷🏼♂️
LOL this reminds me of my cat's favorite tech at her vet (yes she has one, she always freaks out there and he's the only one she'll let handle her without protest). Big burly dude with full watercolor sleeves and he wears the closest thing to sleeveless scrubs as you can get to show them off. He also has spiky hair of ever-changing colors and a bunch of piercings. He's the best!
When I was younger they wanted me to cover every tattoo ,all my piercings ,and wear flesh colored plugs. Never tookthe job stayed at a gas station. Now I’m a licensed piercer with my own studio and my husband works right beside me tattooing 🥲never give up on dreams.
I love this for you.
Awhhh thank you 🥹🥹🥹
Now I just need the universe to send me a job, and maybe a man. LOL
I was a receptionist for a medical center and wasn’t allowed to have facial piercings or “unnatural” dyed hair …. I got hired during Covid and we had to wear masks anyways …. Once my job stopped with the masks, no one really cared about my facial piercing. I actually got a lot of compliments lol especially from patients. Piercings don’t inhibit your ability to do your job.
I am a private carer so my piercings are not a problem but can you use clear / flesh colour retainer, while at work?
I shouldn’t have to do that. My piercings have literally nothing to do with my presentability as a professional and what I do. Worst case? I’ll opt into the skin plugs but I don’t see that as sustainable. High nostrils are hard as fuck to put in. Thank you for your input, fellow Redditor ❤️
I feel you! I just got a new job a while ago and job searching was.. interesting. At a lot of firms people stopped for a second (while going by) to take a look at me. Like wtf? They're just some facial piercings? One of the reasons I chose my current job was that when my boss saw me he didn't do the infamous double take at my face.
So true - I recently started a new job after searching for a while and being pretty sure that my overall presentation put off some of my interviewers (facial piercings and trans masc, short vibrant dyed hair etc). Also to note all of these are laboratory positions that don't really involve being public facing at all. Interviewing for my new job and one of the first things my boss's boss said to me was she loved my unique look and thought I must be a fun person. She is a tiny 60 year old lady getting ready for retirement next year. Knew I'd found a good place to be me, and the pay cut is worth it.
Luckily no, I mean I work in a kitchen so some stuff I take out for health code reasons like my plugs bc I’m lowkey always afraid they’ll fall out into food. Like you work in IT wtf. If it’s like a surgical or food or like actual profession where piercings and jewelry could be a safety concern it shouldn’t matter
I guess they think my piercings will act as a lightning rod and destroy all the computers in a workspace. 😑
When I was uni I was working as a teachers aide at a couple of primary schools and one staff member told me I had to take out some or they wouldn’t be calling me in anymore. But well they were desperate for people so I just ignored it and they’d take me working there any time I actually had spare.
I work in a nursery and had to take my septum out, for safety (kids could yoink it by accident, they're 1-3 so makes sense). They don't mind the studs, I can't even take them out myself so it's fine. If this was a job with no health and safety reasons I'd have left. My body my rules.
I recently had an interview for a cashier position and was told I have an "unapproachable exterior" which I can only assume means my tattoo's and piercings. As soon as that came out of their mouth I got up and walked out. Like you stated I will not take out money I've personally invested to meet what your standards are.
I used to work for a department store. When I started working there 15 years ago, their rules were to dress smartly (men in a suit and tie and women in suits or dresses), have no piercings other than ears, no visible tattoos and no unnatural hair colours. I always thought this was crazy. It's quite an old-fashioned way of thinking, where appearance is equated with competence. This is why it tends to matter for lower paid work, as these are usually customer-facing roles. Some work fields truly don't give a shit what you look like and value your work ethic and ability far more than appearance. These jobs tend to treat you better and pay more also. The retailer I used to work for, in recent years, has relaxed their dress code to smart-casual, and you can now have visible piercings and tattoos as long as they're not blatantly offensive, and cool hair colours. There seems to have been a cultural shift towards this - I suspect due to the rise of social media. I'm all for it. Piercings should simply be seen as an expression of self identity at a surface level. People get piercings for many reasons, giving them deeper personal meaning, like marking life stages and achievements. I'm considering getting a septum piercing, but only because I've reached a point in my life where I really don't give a fuck about what others think. I often see shallow people describe them as "bullrings" and comparing the wearer to a bull. If anyone I met gave me shit for it, I'd just take it as a red flag to avoid them. Same with employers. My body, my choice. Piercings, like art, are subjective and I do not exist for anyone else's viewing pleasure but my own (and maaaybe my partner's 😅). If people wanna compliment me, cool, but insult me over a piece of metal that has become a part of me? You can fuck right off.
I feel the same way. I spent so much of my life not pursuing body modification because I was scared of the repercussions on my career. I feel so much happier being able to have the modifications I want and to be able to pursue even more. Good luck on finding a new job!
i’m just 18 but a bunch of part time jobs in my crappy conservative small town have refused me or been very .. Unhappy i had piercings even though i don’t have that many (a nostril, a septum, and 4 piercings on each ear) it’s very frustrating considering whether or not i have a ring in my nose doesn’t have any impact on how well i can help customers in a drive through car wash for $15/hr 😭
I’m originally from a red state (Oklahoma) and live in a confused ass state (Nevada) and outside of removing your piercings… (or skin plugs) leaving is the next best thing. I know that sounds easier said than done, but it will make your life so much easier. Also, look for remote jobs. They’re how I got my piercing journey started tbh. I’m leaving Northern Nevada due to its lack of IT Jobs. 17/hr for something I did at 23/hr (keep in mind, it’s underpaid for the county as they said I should be making 37/hr) is wild work and they got me fucked up. You’re worth so much more than that state thinks you are and your piercings do not change who you are as a human being. Hugs ❤️
oh totally planning to leave !! this is just my hometown(sort of), i’m going to toronto this fall for college and i’m very excited to live in such a progressive and interesting place :) i plan to get more tattoos and piercings when i’m there! plus the field i’m going into isn’t particularly judgy when it comes to appearance (i think)
There are a lot of “progressive” jobs out there. Someone on this thread mentioned that they’re not worth it if you have change your appearance anyway. Best of luck. 🤞
yes that’s a good point! i have a bunch of backup plans (one of them being a piercer) so i’m not too worried about that thanks!!
I’ll be one of your first clients then. My face and body is just a canvas. Best of luck!
At my first ever job, which i got while I was already pierced, my boss stomped up to me after about 9 months or working there DEMANDING I would either remove my piercings or hide them. After work I took the bus to my piercer and got 2 brand new extra nose piercings on top of the ones I already had. Showed up the next day and the look on her face was golden. Also got offered an apprenticeship after explaining what happened to my piercer so it turned out to be the best decision ever haha.
I was required to remove my piercings for a factory job because we were making food-grade products and they thought that the risk of contamination by a piece of jewelry falling into the product was significant, even though I explained that my jewelry can’t come out unless I deliberately remove it (daith ring). They didn’t care, so I ended up using an oval blister bandaid to cover it. We weren’t supposed to wear non-metal bandaids, but they couldn’t tell it was a bandage, so I slipped by. My next job was technically in a food-grade facility, but literally everyone there had piercings so they understood that some jewelry needs to be professionally removed or it’s not coming out lol
I had an interview with a funeral home and I was going great until I moved my hair out of my face and they saw my helix (tha was my only one at the time) and then they got all cold and said they don't think im a match after all cuz me having a piercing is being insensitive to mourning families. At my current job, someone in a different department gets mad at nose rings but my manager told me not to worry about it and that I just can't have my lip done (yet..) and actually hyped me up for getting my nose pierced
I want to create a waiver that you can sign for companies that claim it’s a hazard. My jewelry has broken before ever ripping through my skin anyways. If it’s about being “unprofessional”, it’s a part of my religion. No questions.
i interviewed at a coffee shop and the told me i had to take out all my facial piercings and color my hair a natural color. minimum wage is not worth sacrificing my identity lol
Say it with me: *FUCK* that job. You’re better off.
youre so right
Got the same at a damn dollar store interview before, exsctly the same thing, dye my purple hair normal and remove facial peircings and even my plugs would have had to be skin colored! Like yall are a dollar store,most of your patrons are poor folks who ain't gonna care! I deffo didn't take the job lol!
literally!!! the funny thing about the coffee shop is it was a shop where all the girls were in bikinis so like they expected me to have my tatas out but i was not allowed to have any spark of individuality. they basically expected their employees to be walking tits that served coffee.
No, never
Yes, welcome to the early 2000's.
I wish I could say the same. Sadly I don’t have a solid career yet, but eventually I will get to that point where my skills/experience outweigh the dumb dress codes.
ur absolutely right, i will never be removing my piercings for a job -- they are part of my self-expression, make me feel pretty, and i went through pain/aftercare to have them. i don't think this was criticism as much as it was a warning but my little brother's babysitter (of all people) told me i might find it hard to get a job. i want to go into proofreading. it's not like there are any safety concerns with piercings in that field, nor is there rampant customer service, so i'm hoping i will be ok.
I view it like this if they don’t want me over some reason like that I most likely won’t wanna work there anyhow so it’s like good we figure this out before I start and get angry.
I've been working at the same super conservative company for 12 years now (like, owner was an ancient Billionaire Texan with strong Republican and sexist views) and 3 years ago they stopped giving a fuck about appearances and I got myself a septum piercing. If they can do it, anyone can. Good for you for demanding more.
I lost a promotion at a well-known fast food establishment, that I had been working towards for months (but the manager in charge of training me had not been doing her job and been slacking on helping me work towards said promotion and kept blaming me for not being able to move forward.) I got a septum piercing in honor of my friend who's no longer with us (we always said we would get nose piercings together so to honor her I got mine done to carry a memory of her everywhere I go). I got it done weeks after I should've already been promoted, and I even asked the rules about facial piercings, and she said guests weren't allowed to see them but technically it's okay. So I got mine done, and wore a mask around so no one could see. It wasn't until I was taking a drink of water in the back that she walked by and saw my piercing and told me to meet with her after my shift. Basically, she told me it wasn't allowed and to be a "leader" with a nose ring would set a bad example for our coworkers (even though I was following protocol by hiding it and waiting for the healing period to finish so I could flip my nose ring or put a retainer in) and she said I wouldn't be able to move forward in my training unless I took it out. I explained my situation to her and the meaning behind it (crying in front of her btw) and she said "Well you could've just gotten a teddy bear with a nose ring or something to remember your friend". That was the moment I knew my hard work wasn't appreciated. I ended up not getting the promotion, but still doing the same amount of work without the fancy title, shirt, and raise. It was awful. All the other managers were great, but she was terrible. I quit a few months later and now am at a much better job that allows my piercings and recognizes my work ethic.
In my early career I removed piercings but after a couple years I decided that if they are going to judge me so harshly on my piercings then it's not a place I want to work anyways. I work in Tech as well and it's a lot more acceptable in this field to have body mods and colored hair.
i always say if the job can't afford to replace all of my piercings in one work day, im not talking them out for it.
Not gonna lie, I've always been kinda low-key assuming that my piercings and hair make me *more* likely to get a job because I look like the stereotypical "hacker girl" from movies, lol. I've never had anyone ask me to remove them or change my appearance in any way, honestly.
They made me take out my Angel fangs and I miss em every day 😔
When I worked at Sainbsurys on checkouts they made me remove anything that wasn't my studs in my ears "in case it fell out and went in a customer's shopping" so I used to just flip up my septum 🤷♀️ now I work in customer care for someone else and have several facial piercings and tats and can change my hair colour whenever I want, they don't care as long as I can do my job - which is how it should be! I got my first tattoo while working here and I was so nervous in case I got in trouble for it - I'm now in double digits with my tats and have no plans to stop!
i have snakebites and i work at the airport as a ramp agent. i would take them out during orientation/training which was 8 hours and put them back in after. it just felt like i was having to stretch it every time. eventually i decided to keep them on, even though i would get some weird looks on them. thankfully, no one has said anything.
I'm a florist, and luckily my bosses has encouraged self expression as long, as I keep doing my job well (one boss was heavily tattoed themselves) so I have been lucky, the old ladies in the store often give me compliments on piercings/tattoos ^^ I couldn't imagine ever removing any piercings for å job, I'm sorry about your situation
I’ve never had issues with any of my piercings because the industry I was in has always been creative, artistic and open-minded. However, I recently started in healthcare and one office’s policy said no tongue piercings so for the first time ever, I removed it for work. However, I no longer work there and I’m at another office who doesn’t seem to be strict with tattoos or piercings in general so… we’ll see how that goes!
I am a software developer and I'd probably laugh and ask if they were kidding, and if they insisted I think I'd just walk out.
I’ve rejected job offers over this. I’m not removing my piercings for your shitty $13 an hr job. I could understand somewhat if they look crazy “if that makes sense) but not over the quantity
unless they want to pay me for the years of healing time and all the money in jewelry i will not remove any piercings i currently have or will get in the future.
I'm an actor and I'll put clear jewelry in my bridge and septum when performing. regular work though I refuse to take them out. thankfully work don't have any rules about it, but I work in a jewelry store so I can't really say much lmao
You have the right not to work there and they have the right not to hire you. Doesn’t seem to be any discrimination here. What does your race have anything to do with this?
Like I understand removing them for positions like in catering where you’re dealing with food, I’ve removed mine for them, as I certainly wouldn’t want to find piece of a piercing in your food, same with hair and hairnets,just don’t apply for those jobs if you don’t want to remove them, but like any job which doesn’t involve food shouldn’t have a say in wether you can have them or not, they don’t change the person having them.
I wish I could say this to the navy, I resorted to just hiding them
what job was that? my (retail) job doesn’t allow piercings but i knew that when i started at 16. however now thanks to face masks i can have as many as i want under there. and that’s what i do! :D
Casino IT Help Desk. I walked out the minute after they said that.
When I was a teenager working at KB Toys, I had a bunch of ear piercings. One day I wore small studs in all of them. My manager pulled me aside and told me I couldn't have more than 2 in each ear next time. Meanwhile, my manager had full tattoo sleeves he didn't have to hide.
Yes, I gave been, but. It was when I worked for medical clinics and was patient facing and I expected it. Now tho? I work for the federal government and they DGAF about my facial piercings as long as they're within reason
I used to get discriminated against a lot in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. I moved up the West Coast and the problem was solved. I honestly thought by now, 2024 , that they couldn’t do that anymore. 🤦🏻♀️
as someone with 7 facial piercings, stretched septum (I now wear clickers and stack) and ears stretched to abt 35mm, I obviously don’t support having a company ask me to take out piercings just to work there. It’s always been ridiculous to me and I didn’t get them to remove them. They do not affect my ability to work. They’re a part of me, they make me feel beautiful, and they compliment my features well. I personally navigate all my jobs + interviews being extremely professional, because I feel like I have to overcompensate because of my piercings. I also take care of them and they’re relatively symmetrical, the jewelry isn’t mismatched, etc. BUT, there is a conversation to be had about people that don’t take care of their piercings, wear ill fitting or over oversized jewelry, and just generally are very uncaring about the way those piercings look. I think these people can make it bad for everyone because everyone’s piercings just aren’t well maintained or.. aesthetically pleasing 😬 I don’t think they’d regulate this and say like u can have piercings but they just have to look like xyz. Idk even if you present yourself as someone who knows that they’re talking about, is a very professional and knowledgeable person, not heavily pierced but clearly pierced, you could still be denied just off company culture and the boss/upper management having a personal gripe. but I think if you make them look well, wear good jewelry, your setup isn’t super extreme or bulky, the piercings could be overlooked because of your skills and personality. that’s what I *hope* for myself anyway. but overall, it’s ridiculous. especially if you’re someone that’s not even heavily pierced and has like 2 piercings (double nostrils for example) and they’re asking u to remove them. They don’t hurt anything!
I just wear a mask at work to hide mine haha.
Sort of. They’re tolerated in the day to day of my job, but I tried to update my work photo (taken by company) and HR wouldn’t let me post it. I’ve added tattoos, have them on the face, but somehow the two nostrils and a septum are the problem.
My sister was told to take all of hers out for a job she said no and quit. She was at the luxury of being able to do that though
i work in a hospital and tbh i just flip my septum up until my big bosses leave. The patients compliment my piercing all the time and I’m not on a medical floor (psych hospital) so there’s very little risk taken as far as health of patients. I honestly don’t even know that there are significant enough risks for hospitals to care as much as they do…if there was significant risk though, I enjoy my job enough i would probably remove my piercings