Our new hires are looking younger and younger. Or maybe I’m just getting older. But I think those shirts should be approved uniform items.

 

Oh brother. But the nose and ear hair you could braid, or the stomach that is two feet past the belt line...that’s all good under your view of professionalism I guess. I don’t have any tattoos myself, but I do have friends in the industry who do and they are very professional. Careful what you are basing your “professional” comments on.

 

Since I did not know the answer to the tattoo question I thought i would look it up
The People Manual 2-80 page 148 states: "Visible tattoos, gauges exceeding half an inch with a flesh colored plug, and/or body/facial
piercings, except for an earring in one or both ears, are normally prohibited in customer contact
positions when wearing the appropriate Company-issued uniform."
The question now becomes, do we have contact with customers? Maybe not directly but we do have hotel personnel, cab drivers, and the public in general.

 

The discussion is not about tattoos. It’s about the location and visibility. Think sleeve and neck (or face for the Tyson fans). In the same way that your braided nose hairs and sagging beer gut are visible, these tattoos are visible. For better or worse in this line of work (along with other professions like lawyers and doctors) there is a standard that has been set for appearance. And it’s a pretty high standard. In my career, I have never seen a pilot with a sleeve. Nor have I seen a doctor with one. That’s not a coincidence. I think that’s an indicator of a life approach. And it’s one that I understand and appreciate. I get that I’m old school. To me, how you keep your house and body is how you keep your mind. Maybe most guys aren’t like this, but if I’m just meeting you for our first flight, I’m going to have some judgments (scary word I know). Do you have a five o’clock shadow? Do you have a belt? How do your shoes look? This helps me build a picture of what to expect when I’m working with you. It helps me operate better as a crew member. Just like I’m going to operate differently with a new hire off IOE vice seasoned 10 year senior FO.

I get that there are some highly intelligent, incredibly talented individuals with sleeve tattoos. But every company I’ve worked for had a standard of appearance, and a sleeve tattoo would fall short of that standard. Having one would elevate the individual over the team and that in itself would be a red flag for me.

As for my “professional” comments, they’re just my opinion. And that’s created off my experience. I’m glad your friends are “professional”. If they wear a tattoo that is not in compliance with company standards, that’s not what I would call them.

 

Ohhhhh.... uh-oh..... you said "judgement".... that's liable to set some of these folks off into that "triggered" territory..... Ops will now need a safe space for them.

Nice post NotNice! I concur completely and for the record, I have scars, not tattoos, WAAAAYY better stories too!

 

I really can’t believe that we’re having this discussion. I hold this Pilot group to higher standard. Not quite Delta w/ Double Breasted uniform jackets and Hats, but significantly higher than Visible Tattoos.

I agree with the sentiments of NotMrNiceGuy.

 

Page 1 of the People Manual:

"Scope: The FedEx Express (USA) .... (People Manual) applies to all United States employees of FedEx Express except for employees represented by a collective bargaining representative."

Discuss.

 

If you want a sleeve tat, where a long sleeve shirt at work. It’s a reasonable solution. I don’t get the tat thing, but it’s also none of my business what others do.

That said, we work at a cargo airline that flys mostly at night. I’m not going to freak out if you’re not wearing a belt or don’t have freshly shined shoes.

 

But we check in and out of hotels, often with lots of visibility. So looking at least halfway presentable and professional, at least for those 5 minute interludes, is all of our business.