Tattoos, piercings and red hair.

Getting a job is something that everyone needs to do eventually. Whether it's because you're trying to save for university or to keep your rent coming in on time, it's something everyone needs to have. For those of you who do not currently have a job or are looking for your first one, there are several things you will need to do and be. An integral part of getting a job is that you are polite, courteous, well-spoken and on time. When going for an interview it is imperative that you are all of these things as well as looking 

"respectable". 

Brightly coloured hair such as in this photo can make it
 hard for people to find a job

Now, when I say respectable I don't mean showering and washing your hair, doing your hair nice, etc. (You should be doing those things regardless. Well, the showering part at least.) I'm talking about unnatural hair colours, piercings, tattoos, etc. When a person is covered in tattoos, has multiple piercings, or bright coloured hair, it doesn't matter how courteous, hard working or honest they are. They're always being told, "you need to rethink all those tattoos/that hair colour/ those piercings. It'll make finding a job harder." The sad thing is, those people are right. 

Whilst a company cannot fire you for not complying to their appearance policies, it can prevent them from hiring you. According to the website WorkingWorld, sixty percent of employers are less likely to hire someone if they have tattoos or piercings. Companies such as McDonalds expect their employees to be tattoo-less and to have piercings removed. Although the piercings could be health and safety related, the tattoos cannot harm anyone. Coloured hair is another matter. You can be asked to re-dye your hair a natural colour if you apply to a place that doesn't allow brightly coloured hair. All of this comes down to people's perceptions and opinions. Although this isn't counted as discrimination, it complies with the description of it. Despite the fact that it is no one else's business what someone does to their body, society still feels the need to tell people how they should look.

It seems that people are more prone to tell someone that they dislike someone else's appearance if they have tattoos or piercings. One youtuber, Scarlett Saint, discussed this issue in one of her videos.  "They know [telling you that they hate your appearance] is probably going to upset you, they know it's probably not going to change your mind. But they just have to let you know that they don't like [the way you look]," Later on in her video she says, "At the end of the day you're commenting on my appearance and the way that I choose to look and just outright saying to me, 'you look disgusting, I don't like it' and that is rude. That is very rude."

60% of employers will turn people down because
of visible tattoos or facial piercings.

Sadly, it seems that she is right. Although some places, like the now closed book shop Borders, and some local establishments do not mind piercings, tattoos and brightly coloured hair, a sixty percent chance of not being hired is not good enough for the people of the western world who have tattoos and piercings or brightly coloured hair. It's time that people started minding their own business when it comes to other's appearances and stopped being so judemental.