I do research in the chemical industry for a living. I have five earrings, two of them stretched. My nose, tongue, and back of my neck are also pierced, and I have a tattoo that completely covers my right calf.
I keep my appearance at work strictly professional. I'm not here to make a statement by my personal appearance; I'm here to do a job. The only piercings you can see when I'm at work are my ears - everything else is either covered up or has concealing jewelry in it. I wear business casual to work, just like everyone else. None of the managers in my direct line all the way up to the VP of my division have any problem with how I look, nor have I taken flak from any of the managers here on site.
To me, being allowed to wear earrings to work shows that my employer respects me as an individual. It's a courtesy that costs the company nothing, but it improves my morale immensely. It also builds loyalty. My piercings are not just a fashion statement, they *mean* something to me. I would turn down a $10k raise to work at another company, if I had to take my plugs out and let my lobes close back up to do it. You may think I'm foolish, that's your perogative, but we all have our priorities in life, and this is mine.
I've interviewed a number of potential new hires to the company, and they've all been favorably impressed by the fact that my large earrings are allowed. It conveys the message that here, individuality is respected. Your technical competence and accomplishments matter far more than anything else. This is the kind of culture a lot of young people, myself included, are looking for.
Yes, us pierced people are well aware that some people are going to discriminate against us because of how we look. That just means we have to work harder and perform better than the rest. If I were an employer, that's the kind of attitude I'd be looking for in an employee.
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I do research in the chemical industry for a living. I have five earrings, two of them stretched. My nose, tongue, and back of my neck are also pierced, and I have a tattoo that completely covers my right calf.
I keep my appearance at work strictly professional. I'm not here to make a statement by my personal appearance; I'm here to do a job. The only piercings you can see when I'm at work are my ears - everything else is either covered up or has concealing jewelry in it. I wear business casual to work, just like everyone else. None of the managers in my direct line all the way up to the VP of my division have any problem with how I look, nor have I taken flak from any of the managers here on site.
To me, being allowed to wear earrings to work shows that my employer respects me as an individual. It's a courtesy that costs the company nothing, but it improves my morale immensely. It also builds loyalty. My piercings are not just a fashion statement, they *mean* something to me. I would turn down a $10k raise to work at another company, if I had to take my plugs out and let my lobes close back up to do it. You may think I'm foolish, that's your perogative, but we all have our priorities in life, and this is mine.
I've interviewed a number of potential new hires to the company, and they've all been favorably impressed by the fact that my large earrings are allowed. It conveys the message that here, individuality is respected. Your technical competence and accomplishments matter far more than anything else. This is the kind of culture a lot of young people, myself included, are looking for.
Yes, us pierced people are well aware that some people are going to discriminate against us because of how we look. That just means we have to work harder and perform better than the rest. If I were an employer, that's the kind of attitude I'd be looking for in an employee.