Mother sacked from job because of tattoos

[Still Waters]

A mother-of-three was sacked from her new job in a department store cafe after customers complained about her tattoo.

Joanne Stronach, 39, who has the positive mantra 'everything happens for a reason' inked on her arm, was just three weeks into a six-month trial in the coffee lounge at Wetherells in Selby, North Yorkshire, when she was told she was unsuitable for the position.

Ms Stronach said she was left 'angry' and 'humiliated' after bosses told her her body art - a celebration of her three children - would offend older patrons at the traditional department store.

http://www.dailymail...ned-tattoo.html

[libstaK]

The posterchild of irony - being fired from a job because you have a tattoo that says "everything happens for a reason".

[Ever Learning]

silly to get fired for this, I personally still wouldn't get a tattoo on my forearms, or any showing part of the body, face, neck etc but im an old man in a young mans body. doesn't bother me if others do it and this mantra is positive, so I don't know why it would matter.

customers: things don't happen for a reason and it is unreasonable to say they do 0.0

[SHaYap]

the employers should have said something before hiring .... I think she has a case to sue ....

~

[Ashotep]

Some employer's don't like those tattoos and don't want to see them. However I can't believe they fired her since they knew they were there to begin with. People will complain about anything.

[Blink4567]

I got fired for a sun tatto I have that only showed a quarter of an inch under my sleeve. It's on my bicep near my shoulder and was working for a "high end" fast food chain. They fired me after my third day of being there because of it... She should just move on and let it go. Not worth sueing after all the bills stock up...

[SHaYap]

remember Dennis Rodman ?

now everyone in the NBA isn't NBA without a tatt ... funny times these

~

[Blink4567]

remember Dennis Rodman ?

now everyone in the NBA isn't NBA without a tatt ... funny times these

~

I try to forget him

[SHaYap]

I try to forget him

why ? I thought he did the NBA a whole lot of good ... was tired of the dunk master ego maniacs ...

at least Dennis made people remember the game is not only about show boating and glass board destruction ... I stop paying attention after Dennis left ... truth

[Blink4567]

why ? I thought he did the NBA a whole lot of good ... was tired of the dunk master ego maniacs ...

at least Dennis made people remember the game is not only about show boating and glass board destruction ... I stop paying attention after Dennis left ... truth

Are we talking about the same dennis rodman? hahaha. No he never showboated *Marrying yourself in Drag* is nowhere near close, ok thats off the court I'll give you that . I do have to say Dennis COULD PLAY! It was carl malone I disliked with a passion.

[Bendy Demon]

People choose to get offended over the smallest thing.

Customers choose to be so offended that they demand that someone lose their job over it.

I've seen cashiers at stores with their whole arms tattooed and do I really care? No. As long as they are civil I do not give a rats whisker about some tattoo.

I think some of these customers need to just get over themselves and stop demanding that everyone cater to their cravings to be in a constant state of being mortally offended.

Edited June 8, 2013 by Ryu

[SHaYap]

Are we talking about the same dennis rodman? hahaha. No he never showboated *Marrying yourself in Drag* is nowhere near close, ok thats off the court I'll give you that . I do have to say Dennis COULD PLAY! It was carl malone I disliked with a passion.

that's true to the T ... on court you can't fault Dennis ... even the Chicago Bulls deities have to give him his due ...

off court ... in his own words ... "none of your damn business" ... even the NBA big wigs aren't allowed to step on his shadow ... he has a point

[Wickian]

The employer handled it wrong, but if you're going to get a tattoo get it on your leg or somewhere easily covered by clothing next time. Unless you work in specific industries, customer interaction usually requires no visible tattoos.

[Gunn]

It's a discriminative stereotype mentality, especially with some of the older generations. Tatoos often get associated with ex-cons, or generally being bad, being dirty or unclean, being a nonconformist, etc.

In other words your dealing with the "in my day you'd be run out of town for something like that" or "that is unhealthy for the body and soul, you need Jesus in your life" type of mentality.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

the employers should have said something before hiring .... I think she has a case to sue ....

~

For all we know, they did, but because she's a special snowflake, those rules don't apply to her.

[SHaYap]

For all we know, they did, but because she's a special snowflake, those rules don't apply to her.

snowflake ? I don't get it ... *scratch head*

~

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

snowflake ? I don't get it ... *scratch head*

~

I was being snarky about people who seem to accept rules and then flaunt them and whinge to high heaven when they get busted for not adhering to those very rules.

All those rules apply to other people because she's so special.

[Odds]

I find it funny, i have tatts, one of them on my forearm, and i worked in a childcare centre for a year and none of the parents cared, yet these people were offended when she served them coffee..? Pretentious *****. I see cops all the time with full sleeves. Give it ten years and they'll never be able to hire anyone, cause a huge amount of this generation have tatts, and visible at that. Sooner or later they are going to have to grow up and accept it.

[SHaYap]

I was being snarky about people who seem to accept rules and then flaunt them and whinge to high heaven when they get busted for not adhering to those very rules.

All those rules apply to other people because she's so special.

Ahhh ... I see now ... thanks ye kindly Sir

~

[Setton]

People choose to get offended over the smallest thing.

Customers choose to be so offended that they demand that someone lose their job over it.

I've seen cashiers at stores with their whole arms tattooed and do I really care? No. As long as they are civil I do not give a rats whisker about some tattoo.

I think some of these customers need to just get over themselves and stop demanding that everyone cater to their cravings to be in a constant state of being mortally offended.

It's a discriminative stereotype mentality, especially with some of the older generations. Tatoos often get associated with ex-cons, or generally being bad, being dirty or unclean, being a nonconformist, etc.

In other words your dealing with the "in my day you'd be run out of town for something like that" or "that is unhealthy for the body and soul, you need Jesus in your life" type of mentality.

I find it funny, i have tatts, one of them on my forearm, and i worked in a childcare centre for a year and none of the parents cared, yet these people were offended when she served them coffee..? Pretentious *****. I see cops all the time with full sleeves. Give it ten years and they'll never be able to hire anyone, cause a huge amount of this generation have tatts, and visible at that. Sooner or later they are going to have to grow up and accept it.

silly to get fired for this, I personally still wouldn't get a tattoo on my forearms, or any showing part of the body, face, neck etc but im an old man in a young mans body. doesn't bother me if others do it and this mantra is positive, so I don't know why it would matter.

customers: things don't happen for a reason and it is unreasonable to say they do 0.0

I think you're all missing the point here. It's not the fact that she has a tattoo that's the issue, it's the words she had as the tattoo. The OP says it's because it may offend older people. The way I read that is a diplomatic way of saying 'old people are likely to know someone close who died recently, don't stick a tattoo that says everything happens for a reason under their nose'.

Sorry but I'm with the company all the way on this one. 'Everything happens for a reason' is not a positive mantra. It's the kind of sanctimonious drivel people spout when they're just glad the suffering's happening to someone else rather than themselves. If someone said that to me just after my brother died, I'd have lamped them. Even now, after 2 years, I'd tell them where they can stick their 'positive mantra'.

[BiffSplitkins]

I don't really care about people having tattoos, I have 2 small tats myself.

What is it with people that work at coffee establishments and tattoos? I swear, there is at least 2 or 3 employees at every Dunkin Donuts that have arm or neck tattoos that are clearly visible and seem to be of 'prison quality'? Seriously, look around the next time you at one.

I know it doesn't impair them from doing their job correctly, my coffee still tastes the same regardless of who made it that day.

[Big Jim]

An intangible part of every business' product is the image that goes with it. What else can make certain sunglasses or clothes worth so much? In this case we don't know anything about the image and environment or customer base of this establishment. The business owner has a right to try to craft whatever image he wants for his for his business. Employees are hired for the benefit they provide. In any job, if you don't help the bottom line then you're not worth your pay. When you interact with customers you are also part of the décor, just as much as the furniture or the pictures on the wall. If the customers complained then she was a potential threat to the profitability of the business. In food service especially the profit margins are low and the loss of a few regulars could mean the difference between success or failure. That could mean that many more would lose their jobs. It seems to be a common misperception that businesses exist to provide jobs. That is not true. Businesses exist to generate profit for the business owner. Jobs are a byproduct of success.

A subtopic that seems to be running through this thread is the idea that the opinions of old people don't count. If that is true I hope I didn't waste anyone's time by expressing mine. I'm curious about just what age we need to be to have our thoughts lose relevance. In the context of the original thread I would like to think that if I'm buying his coffee that my opinions would be important.

Edited June 11, 2013 by Big Jim

[SHaYap]

I am so sorry ... but I am not paying for the coffee and the pecan pie because your waiter's left eye is a bit slanted ...

and I won't return unless you change your service staff ...

~

[Zamor]

I agree with Setton on this one, "Everything happens for a reason" can be a very provocative "announcement" to make if the reciever of the message has had something bad happen to them.

[Big Jim]

I am so sorry ... but I am not paying for the coffee and the pecan pie because your waiter's left eye is a bit slanted ...

and I won't return unless you change your service staff ...

~

You already make choices like this every day. We all do. Without thinking about it we tend to go where we feel comfortable. We certainly return to places where we feel comfortable and avoid places where we do not. While we may belittle others over what affects their comfort level I'm sure our own preferences would seem just as silly to them. That's what makes comfort such a personal thing. It's often undefinable, more just a feeling or a certain aura about a place that influences our choice. It should therefore be up to the individual business owner to determine the atmosphere in his own place. We can't begin to regulate what would appeal to all, in fact, sometimes the appeal of a place is based on its lack of appeal to the masses.

Edited June 11, 2013 by Big Jim