This tattoo artist reveals how attitudes around body art have changed in the workplace

Due to the widespread adoption of remote work, employees feel more comfortable than ever revealing their personalities at the workplace. Whether through their fashion choices on Zoom meetings, or displaying piercings or tattoos, employees feel free to express themselves in new ways. 

But these expressions of individuality haven't always been so acceptable — tattoos in particular have traditionally been seen as taboo. While 40% of the workforce has a tattoo, that same percentage believes that body art is not appropriate in the workplace, according to research from LinkedIn. 

However, those attitudes are swiftly changing — a survey by global staffing firm Accountemps found that 90% of managers believe the workplace today is less formal regarding tattoos and dress code than it was a decade ago. 

"I came here at the end of 2011 [from Russia] and I had tattoos on my neck, I had tattoos on my arms and people thought I was selling drugs or something," says Mikhail Anderson, a tattoo artist and owner of First Class Tattoos, a NYC-based tattoo parlor. "But now, with social media, and seeing people on TV with tattoos has broken that mentality." 

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Anderson says that growing up in Russia, having tattoos excluded people from certain jobs and could even lead to a psychiatric evaluation. While he says those taboos still exist there, Americans' views of tattoos have shifted to be more accepting, even in a corporate environment. 

"I think before, we looked at a lot of people in higher positions and we saw them as untouchable — but those bank owners or CEOs who have tattoos, they just live a normal life, too," he says. "People want to work with a leader that they feel connected to, and [tattoos] can switch the conversation from just professional to being more friendly." 

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Anderson says he's tattooed high-level CEOs and lawyers, along with customers with a variety of backgrounds and professional experiences. The tattoo process can be "like therapy," he says, and it's a way to connect with other people, especially amid the isolation of remote work. 

"People are still working from home and they feel more comfortable that they won't be judged," Anderson says. "It's also a big thing for people's mental health — getting tattoos is kind of like therapy for a lot of people. When people come and get tattooed, they want to sit with somebody and just share their story." 

In the workplace, Anderson says tattoos can start conversations among peers, and break down more formal barriers. Instead of being seen as something that sets people apart, tattoos can bring them together. 

"Most people have a tattoo now, and I've worked with lawyers and people who deal with businesses and contracts for billions of dollars, and we'll be sitting together and can talk," Anderson says. "It makes it easier because now we have something in common — now we feel connected."