Tattooed woman 'told to put bag over head'

[Still Waters]

A woman with 30 tattoos claims she was told to ''put a bag over her head'' when she went for a job interview.

Hayley O'Neil, 23, - who also has 20 body piercings - says was also advised to ''stand behind a wall'' when she asked a job centre official what post she could apply for.

She eventually left the Job centre plus centre in Blackburn Lancs in tear without any interviewers lined up after the advisor concluded: ''Who would hire you looking like that?''

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[Eldorado]

A civil-servant talking to someone as if they were trash? No way!

[maca02]

And what exactly did she expect?

the guy in the jobcentre was spot on, IMO

Edited September 23, 2010 by maca 01

[Eldorado]

And what exactly did she expect?

the guy in the jobcentre was spot on, IMO

She probably expected to be treated with respect, which is what civil-servants are paid to do, by us, the tax-payer.

It aint all illiterate scroungers that need to visit the Job Centre, Maca.

[maca02]

She probably expected to be treated with respect, which is what civil-servants are paid to do, by us, the tax-payer.

It aint all illiterate scroungers that need to visit the Job Centre, Maca.

i never commented on her literacy or that she was a scrounger,

but look at the state of her, what sort of impression would she give to a potential employer looking as she does.

Should the guy in the jobcentre lied to her and said her appearance would not be an issue ???

[stevewinn]

And what exactly did she expect?

the guy in the jobcentre was spot on, IMO

agreed, first impression when i looked at her picture, good god. she's doing herself no favours looking like that unless she is going to work in a tattoo parlour or whatever. i think the guy in the job centre as helped her out in a way. maybe it'll get her thinking.

[maca02]

agreed, first impression when i looked at her picture, good god. she's doing herself no favours looking like that unless she is going to work in a tattoo parlour or whatever. i think the guy in the job centre as helped her out in a way. maybe it'll get her thinking.

we can only hope so

[gabe]

i think the guy in the job centre as helped her out in a way. maybe it'll get her thinking.

Coming to a job interview with a bag on her head probably won't do her any favors, but ****, those piercings look bad.

Edited September 23, 2010 by gabe

[ExpandMyMind]

This is ridiculous considering there are a number of laws set up to protect job-seekers from discrimination.

So what if she has piercings? From reading the comments on her appearance I would have thought she had a leopard tattoo covering her full face or something. She doesn't even look that bad, other then the birth-curse of butt-ugliness. As far as I'm aware you can't refuse someone a job for looking like a melted welly.

Jobcentre staff are worse than the junkies and bums they sign on. At least the bums and such are under no illusion that they are something. These Jobcentre workers have delusions of grandeur and present an air of superiority, when half of them couldn't put a nut in a monkey's mouth!

Edited September 23, 2010 by expandmymind

[JonathanVonErich]

I think she'll have a hard time finding a job with all the tattoos and piercings...but still, she's a human being, i don't think they had the right to disrespect her....

But i think she should remove the tattoos and the piercings...it's cool when you are 16-18, but when you are 23 it's a little bit pathetic....

[farandaway]

She does have the right to be treated with respect.

But employers also have the right to hire who they want to represent their company. Some companies probably won't hire her unless she takes out the facial jewelry (yuck), and covers her tattoos.

[JonathanVonErich]

It's like when my friend Marie-Eve had this job interview to be a waitress in this very classy restaurant at Ste-Foy.... She had black and pink hairs. I told her to dye her hairs blacks, remove the pink because it was a very serious restaurant. She said no and went to the job interview. She came back and said to me " the woman who did the interview told me to dye my hairs and i had a fight with her about it." I said to her "what did you expect!!?" and then we had a fight. good memories.

[J.B.]

He was out of line with the bag and the wall, but his assessment was fairly accurate. A tactful, easily hidden piercing can be overlooked. A face full of metal - or even cheek wear? Come on! Business culture hasn't caught up to sub-culture yet. . . she should know better than to have that kind of jewelery if she's going to be using a mainstream job center.

[Fluffybunny]

As far as saying to someone to put a bag over their head...well that is out of line, but when a person inks their face up, then pokes dozens of holes in it in an effort to look like a freak, then comments like that are going to happen.

It seems that a small percentage of kids in every generation feel they have the god given right to act as they wish without any expectation of poor end results. People that are stupid enough to tattoo places that are visible(specially the face) are going to be in a very bad position when it comes to working in the adult world. Face tattoos maybe the coolest thing in the world to a small section of society, but if you plan to work anyplace other than a freak show or a record store you are simply going to screw yourself out of a chance to make a decent first impression.

EVERY generation has a certain way to dress for different cliques... and kids try to be more outrageous than those that came before them. Unfortunately tattoos are permanent and employers have the right to say no to people that look like their goal is to scare small children.

I don't have any sympathy for her...she chose to look the way she does, now she gets to live with the ramifications.

[fireIIC]

I understand the employers position, but she was still discriminated and disrespected. I personally think people need to get over the whole tattoo and piercings thing. If you judge a person based on the way they look, it's no different different than judging someone based on religion, race, etc IMO, making you a crappy human being.

[Fluffybunny]

I understand the employers position, but she was still discriminated and disrespected. I personally think people need to get over the whole tattoo and piercings thing. If you judge a person based on the way they look, it's no different different than judging someone based on religion, race, etc IMO, making you a crappy human being.

If you run a business and deal with the average Joe citizen, would this be your choice to be the representative for your company?:

...or this:

Perhaps if a person tattoos "I hate Jews" on their face? Is that acceptable? Should we not judge that person for their choice?

The average person isn't going to find this kind of thing acceptable. You can say that it is like judging a person of race or color, but it isn't even close. Race, color, and so on are something you cannot choose, whereas tattooing a skull on your face is a CHOICE. People get to be judged by the choices they make. If people choose to drink and drive and kill someone, you get judged for that. If people choose to get into a fist fight with their boss, they get judged for that. No one is showing a prejudice for anything a person IS, but rather the choices they make. If you make a stupid choice and tattoo your face, it is a safe bet that you do not have the best ability to make good choices, and therefore it will be judged that they are not good employee material.

People have the right to do anything they want to their bodies, but they will be judged for their choices, and rightfully so.

[J.B.]

I understand the employers position, but she was still discriminated and disrespected. I personally think people need to get over the whole tattoo and piercings thing. If you judge a person based on the way they look, it's no different different than judging someone based on religion, race, etc IMO, making you a crappy human being.

People are crappy human beings, end of story. Not all, but the majority, certainly in the business world.

[keithisco]

She chose to look that way a "lifestyle choice" as she calls it.... I certainly wouldnt hire her to represent my company in any capacity. That is my choice. Certain standards are expected in business and there most certainly is a dress code and that applies to how you choose to "dress" your face. She either listens to the advice proferred and gets a job, or she carries on down her self - indulgent "fashion statement" route and lives off of benefits.<br><br>To my way of thinking she is making herself unemployable and therefore shouldnt receive any benefits!!<br>

[JonathanVonErich]

Thanks for the pics Bunny...

My god, have you seen the two freaks on the pics !!? I mean come on....these people just want to be different, to have our attention...it's so pathetic....When you are a teen, maybe, but when you are 20 or older...it's pathetic, how can you get a job with piercings and tattoos like that !!? Sorry but it's hard not to judge these people....it's too much !!

I had my hairs bleached when i was 16 and stopped when i was 18, when i started College. Why ?? because it doesn't look serious, i won't do it again. I had one ear pierce at 17, but i don't wear piercing anymore. I don't want to judge these people....but this was too much. just like the woman in the topic.

[Eldorado]

Certain standards are expected in business .....She either listens to the advice proferred and gets a job, or she carries on down her self - indulgent "fashion statement" route and lives off of benefits.<br><br>To my way of thinking she is making herself unemployable and therefore shouldnt receive any benefits!!<br>

Correct, certain standards are expected.

And when you work for the Job Centre, standards are compulsory. Insulting someone is not acceptable. There are ways of telling people they could look smarter, no?

As for denied benefits for making herself unemployable....that's just silly. She could work in a factory etc where your appearance makes no difference.

Unless of course you feel that anyone who doesn't look normal should be denied benefits.

Maybe scarred war veterans, for example. No-one wants to look at a badly burned face, after all.

[Eldorado]

I don't have any sympathy for her...she chose to look the way she does, now she gets to live with the ramifications.

The guy who insulted her is not an employer.

He's a government employee who's sole job is to help people find a job. He's paid to be professional, helpful, courteous and respectful.

He failed.

Edited September 23, 2010 by Eldorado

[shadowhive]

A lot of you are making assumptions based on her wanting to be the 'face' of a company. It doesn't say in the article what she wants to be. What if she wants to work where appearence won't matter? Or in a tattoo place or somewhere else where such an appearence would be normal?

The guy in the Jobcenter was rude and disrespectful to her. He failed in his job by doing so.

[stevewinn]

I understand the employers position, but she was still discriminated and disrespected. I personally think people need to get over the whole tattoo and piercings thing. If you judge a person based on the way they look, it's no different different than judging someone based on religion, race, etc IMO, making you a crappy human being.

Its part of the human Psyche, any employer will tell you first impressions count. by having those tattoos and piercing she has just eliminated herself out of at the very least 60% to 80% of the job market, if not more.

[Abramelin]

I probably shouldn't say this, but I nearly fell from my chair laughing when I read th article.

And my next thought was, "If I was that woman, I would come back wearing a burqa".

[keithisco]

Correct, certain standards are expected.

And when you work for the Job Centre, standards are compulsory. Insulting someone is not acceptable. There are ways of telling people they could look smarter, no?

As for denied benefits for making herself unemployable....that's just silly. She could work in a factory etc where your appearance makes no difference.

Unless of course you feel that anyone who doesn't look normal should be denied benefits.

Maybe scarred war veterans, for example. No-one wants to look at a badly burned face, after all.

Scarred war veterans do not choose to be the way they look (that is a completely specious argument), and no employer I know of would dream to make an issue of it In fact completely the opposite!!

Yes,she could work in a factory but then (if it is food processing) there are hygiene standards to meet that body piercings can not be accepted (in the face piercings) - she has taken herself out of that potential source of employment. Body piercings can become infected, leading to irrition and scratching - jeez, I would not want any bodily fluids on my Toys R Us purchases!!

End of the day, people know that if that want the "Transformers" chic then they will seriously impare their employment prospects. She wants to look like that , then her lifestyle choice means that taxpayers money does not support her "lifestyle" choice.