Marked for Discrimination

Workplace Buzz on June 1, 2007 6:43 AM

Sentinel staff writer Harry Wessel writes that there is job discrimination for those sporting tattoos.

Russell Parrish would like a better job. He manages his father-in-law's small restaurant, but other prospective employers won't even give him applications, let alone interviews. By his count, he's been turned down for more than two dozen jobs in the last couple of months, and he's pretty sure he knows why.

"It comes down to skin color," said Parrish, 29, who has dozens of tattoos that cover his arms, hands, torso and neck. "I want a career; I want same the shot as everybody else."

He reports receiving literally hundreds of supporting calls from the tattoo community, though he acknowledges having little luck in getting legislators or government officials to listen to his complaints of discrimination.

His complaints have merit on one level, employment lawyers agree. There is no doubt people with visible tattoos suffer workplace discrimination, "but it's legal discrimination," said Gary Wilson, a Winter Park employment lawyer.

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