Tattoo Policy

[RockdaleEddie]

I have always been told no visible tattoos.

 

[RockdaleEddie]

I have always been told that feeder drivers are fat.

 

[RockdaleEddie]

I believe it is in the interest of UPS to maintain conservative grooming standards.

As a temporary hire at UPS, I had full beard (trimmed) and large captive bead rings in my ears (large enough holes to easily pass a pen or pencil through my ear). My customers, UPS coworkers, and management never expressed or hinted at an issue; however, the driver that I helped informed me that I would have to shave and lose the earrings during work hours if I was interested in getting hired back in a permanent position.

Beards are fairly prevalent in Alaska and generally are worn longer the further an individual lives from a city of any significant size much like anywhere else in the country. I have always been amazed by the apparent lack of grooming standards at the USPS as they have some male postal workers with poorly kept beards and/or obnoxious hair cuts.

From my perspective, I viewed UPS as a company with conservative attire and grooming standards and I believe it serves the company well. While I would personally like for UPS to loosen the conservative nature of grooming standards, I also understand that it is much easier in the long run to define easily interpreted restrictive policies. How do you make the judgment call of when a beard is "too long" or not trimmed well enough? The even harder question of when a goatee is "too trendy"?

I have a sleeve tattooed on one of my arms and one of my lower legs is also fully tattooed. We have drivers (male and female) with tattoos on their forearms or calves and the tattooed drivers are generally younger individuals. My center manager has not told me that I have to cover my arm when I wear short sleeve uniform shirts. I wear uniform items that cover my tattoos when his superiors are in town so as to avoid the conflict for both of us.

It seems fairly simple for me since the company provides my uniform that they can determine how that uniform is to be worn (perhaps my military background is strongly influencing my perspective). Tattoos are a difficult nut to crack. The military is currently experiencing a shift in policy that is opposite of society trends after influencing the current trend in society for so many decades. How do you determine if a tattoo is "inappropriate" or "too trendy"? If told that I have to keep my tattoos covered, then I will simply request a supplement to my uniform issue to approximately compensate for the half of my uniform items that I'm not authorized to wear and work as directed.

 

[RockdaleEddie]

Looper, I don't care if men wear earrings, I don't care about the tats being visible, I don't care about men having beards.... I personally feel that some of UPS's policies are archaic. Come on its 2008 lets update some of these out of date policies. The world we live in today is far more lenient than it was 100 years ago. Many corp. are rrelaxing their dress/appearance codes.

 

[RockdaleEddie]

dilligaf...that is the best one I have read tonight. Thanks

 

[The-UK-Guy]

Whoa,
I am not ragging you or anyone else.
If you feel good doing it, do it and deal with the long term after effects later.
Call it what you will, it is still self-scarification.
I guess I am just an old poot and think no matter how artfully a tatoo is done, it is nothing more than an outward expression of an internal conflict.
I know I seem disrespectful and that is not my intention, but I am saddened that you need an outward reminder of who you are inside.

People have tattooed themselves since the dawn of time, all over the globe. Your statement is true for some but not for all.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Beards are fairly prevalent in Alaska and generally are worn longer the further an individual lives from a city of any significant size much like anywhere else in the country.

Which must make it really hard to separate the guys from the girls.

 

[Fishbulb]

in my building it seems to depend on the sup. the last center manager we had was a real hard ass about tats & made everyone cover them up. I have one on my calf & i would just walk in in the morning with my cooler or bag covering it & just scoot out of the building without being seen. Our new center manager doesnt seem to care, we have a guy who has big lettering tattooed on his inner forearm & no one says anything to him. I think they kinda figure if they're gonna take people off the road for visible tattooes they're going to have about 10-15 drivers off the road that day. Personally, if its not offensive & the customers dont care then I dont see the problem.

 

[Cobra Agent]

Many years ago i was not allowed to join the Marine Corps, Army or Air Force because i have a tattoo on the back of my neck just barly visible above a dress collar.
When i went to driving school for ups I was required to sign a paper saying that i will cover all visible tattoos. So now i have to wear a neoprene sleeve on my left leg so that my tats are not visible. They havent said anything about my neck or a little tat on my right leg. (Go figure).

Now the thing that truly puzzles me is that I have stretched ears. The holes in them are almost 1 inch round. Ups told me that i had to take my plugs out of my ears. I told them that that was not a problem, however It is a one inch hole what difference does it really make if i take them out or not......It is a one inch hole. I get more looks with them out than with them in. Ups really needs to get with the times.

 

[87coupe]

As far as the tattoo policy goes it all depends on your district managers. I am sleeved on both arms and also have a tattoo on my neck. Not much is said to me.I also have asked several times to see a copy of the appearance rules and they dont have one.They make it up as they go.Just stand strong for what you think is right and dont back down from BIG BROWN.

 

[UPS Lifer]

yea this became a big issue at my building today...all the big shots from the local were there. One of them had the gall to yell at me not to load packages (I wasn't). Are you a supervisor....ARE YOU A SUPERVISOR?!?! DON'T TOUCH THOSE. My hourly told him to go away (imagine that). He wasn't feeling well and asked if I could set up his cages for him until help from the slide arrived. Thats all I was doing not loading, not even advancing packages. I didn't yell back, I pretty much ignored him which angered him more apparently. Oh well

I have no problem listening if you're speaking to me, yelling and disrespecting me, forget it, I've got no time for you, I would have loved to yell back, but our labor manager and division manager were there and they took care of him. What a goon (sorry guys, he was).

Westside,
I know this is off topic - but I feel I have to comment...

I agree with analysis of the jerk who was disrespectful. You do not deserve to be treated that way. However, never fall into the same type of behavior.
I will send you a private message...

 

[filthpig]

Yes, the world is far more lenient, that doesn't necessarily mean better. And my comment really doesn't have anything to do with tattoos.

 

[UPS Lifer]

The best thing that ever happened to me was getting married and having kids. WHY? I learned that women were not treated fairly or equally in the workplace by watching what my wife had to go through. As far as my kids go - I have been able to comprehend and understand the X & Y generations because of my kids. A Tattoo has an entirely different meaning with the younger generation then it did 40 - 60 years ago.

Times have changed as one poster put it. The problem is that UPS has not changed (yet)! What upsets me is the entitlement of a young driver who knows what the company expects gets hired on and then feels that he or she is entitled to do whatever he/she feels like!

The other thing that upsets me is when management indiscriminately enforces policies, especially to use it as a form of discipline. .... and we wonder why non-management folks don't respect us!!!

I was called a "knit-picker" at every center I supervised or managed. I looked at the shoes and uniforms and appearance of the drivers. I didn't have drivers with long hair because I made them cut it before it reached the collar.

This was the major thing that drivers disliked about me..... but I did enforce it fairly. When I wasn't sure I got with HR to make sure before I enforced a policy based only on my interpretation.

Until UPS changes the policy (and one day it may be modified), the policy should be enforced. The question will always be how much is too much? Where do you draw the line and what will it take to enforce it?

I know that this is not a popular view but I will stand by my beliefs today as I would have as a manager 2 years ago.

 

[New Englander]

The best thing that ever happened to me was getting married and having kids. WHY? I learned that women were not treated fairly or equally in the workplace by watching what my wife had to go through. As far as my kids go - I have been able to comprehend and understand the X & Y generations because of my kids. A Tattoo has an entirely different meaning with the younger generation then it did 40 - 60 years ago.

Times have changed as one poster put it. The problem is that UPS has not changed (yet)! What upsets me is the entitlement of a young driver who knows what the company expects gets hired on and then feels that he or she is entitled to do whatever he/she feels like!

The other thing that upsets me is when management indiscriminately enforces policies, especially to use it as a form of discipline. .... and we wonder why non-management folks don't respect us!!!

I was called a "knit-picker" at every center I supervised or managed. I looked at the shoes and uniforms and appearance of the drivers. I didn't have drivers with long hair because I made them cut it before it reached the collar.

This was the major thing that drivers disliked about me..... but I did enforce it fairly. When I wasn't sure I got with HR to make sure before I enforced a policy based only on my interpretation.

Until UPS changes the policy (and one day it may be modified), the policy should be enforced. The question will always be how much is too much? Where do you draw the line and what will it take to enforce it?

I know that this is not a popular view but I will stand by my beliefs today as I would have as a manager 2 years ago.

I whole heartedly agree with you. People do have a choice. They don't have to work for UPS.

The only problem I have is with the shoes in the rural centers during summer. First dirt road we get on they look just as crappy as they did prior to shining them.

 

[dilligaf]

The best thing that ever happened to me was getting married and having kids. WHY? I learned that women were not treated fairly or equally in the workplace by watching what my wife had to go through. As far as my kids go - I have been able to comprehend and understand the X & Y generations because of my kids. A Tattoo has an entirely different meaning with the younger generation then it did 40 - 60 years ago.

Times have changed as one poster put it. The problem is that UPS has not changed (yet)! What upsets me is the entitlement of a young driver who knows what the company expects gets hired on and then feels that he or she is entitled to do whatever he/she feels like!

The other thing that upsets me is when management indiscriminately enforces policies, especially to use it as a form of discipline. .... and we wonder why non-management folks don't respect us!!!

I was called a "knit-picker" at every center I supervised or managed. I looked at the shoes and uniforms and appearance of the drivers. I didn't have drivers with long hair because I made them cut it before it reached the collar.

This was the major thing that drivers disliked about me..... but I did enforce it fairly. When I wasn't sure I got with HR to make sure before I enforced a policy based only on my interpretation.

Until UPS changes the policy (and one day it may be modified), the policy should be enforced. The question will always be how much is too much? Where do you draw the line and what will it take to enforce it?

I know that this is not a popular view but I will stand by my beliefs today as I would have as a manager 2 years ago.

I agree with you as well. And I respect you for enforcing policy across the board.
But I have to ask. When does 'entitlement' start? What I am trying to say is when a new driver comes in and sees an old driver getting away with violating company policy, does that mean that the new driver can do the same thing?

If policy is enforced equally then then answer would be no. Generally, though, policies are not enforced equally but selectively. And that is not right.

I have no problem with the dress codes. I knew what they were when I started driving, and generally abide in them daily. I don't shine my shoes everyday because as stated earlier, I am on dirts roads alot. I do brush them off regularly though to get that dust off. I have tats but they are not visible, many of our drivers do have visible tats. Does that entitle me to have them. I could easily argue yes. The company could and probably would argue no. Until company starts enforcing policies equally they wouldn't have a leg to stand on. Now it's 'past practice' regardless of what policy says.

Lifer, its to bad that you are retired, I would have enjoyed working for you. And that would have made my job all the more worthwhile.

 

[trplnkl]

I'm thinking that Coupe may be right as far as where the tattoo policy comes from. I sure the application of that comes from that level.
This is from the UPS POLICY BOOK concerning appearance ,this is the only written mention of personal appearance I can find anywhere:
We Expect Our People to Be Neat in Appearance.
A neat appearance greatly impacts the way our customers view
us and how our employees interact on the job. Our drivers and
flight crews and certain other employees wear standard uniforms
as a distinct reflection of our company and our service.
Just as we require our people who come in contact with the public
to maintain a neat appearance, we expect our office people to be
well groomed. We ask them to select clothes and accessories that
are appropriate to our business environment.
Managers and supervisors take note of the appearance of their
people daily and set the example through their own proper
grooming and attire.

So it seems to me the question is who gets to decide what is neat and what is not.
I found the following to be quite interesting also.
We Reimburse Our People for Appropriate Expenditures
Incurred on Behalf of the Company. No one should gain or
lose because of money spent for company purposes. We require
our people to submit an itemized accounting of these expenditures.
Sound judgment is necessary in the management of such
expenses. Questions concerning these expenses should
be resolved in advance with one's manager.
Approval of the expenses of those who report to us requires
equally careful consideration, as well as attention to guiding
them in future expenditures. We periodically review and adjust
our reimbursement practices.

Seems to me that if an existing driver was forced to have a previously existing Tat removed because it could not reasonable be covered ,the company should pay for the removal.

Of course we all know that the policy book is used by management to suit their purposes and ignore it when it doesn't. So there ya go.

 

[UPS Lifer]

trpinkl,

In regards tot he second policy...
This is how states like California became sue happy. People take a square peg to a round hole. The intent of the second policy is to cover expenses incurred in the course of tasks or jobs preformed while at work for UPS. There is no intent to cover a perceived cost incurred.

You could easily cover up your tats by wearing long pants and long sleeve shirts. Shirts and pants that are provided by UPS! Also, any other tat that is showing, could be covered with some sort of band aid.

Covering the tat is a reasonable expectation - tat removal is not a reasonable expectation for either the employee or the company.

 

[trplnkl]

trpinkl,

In regards tot he second policy...
This is how states like California became sue happy. People take a square peg to a round hole. The intent of the second policy is to cover expenses incurred in the course of tasks or jobs preformed while at work for UPS. There is no intent to cover a perceived cost incurred.

You could easily cover up your tats by wearing long pants and long sleeve shirts. Shirts and pants that are provided by UPS! Also, any other tat that is showing, could be covered with some sort of band aid.

Covering the tat is a reasonable expectation - tat removal is not a reasonable expectation for either the employee or the company.

I agree that a Tat on the forearm is easily covered, but is that really reasonable in AZ. TX, NV, SoCal? I don't think so. It gets too freakin' hot in those locations.
Until about 5-6 years ago, I had never heard of UPS's Tattoo policy, I'm not even sure it existed. We had several drivers that had visible Tats in various places and nothing was said to them. Then all of a sudden people were being told to cover them or find another job. The union as far as I know did nothing to stop this push, IMHO they should have shut that down.These drivers were hired (in most cases) WITH the tats and were not told they were not allowed. I know I was never told and this is something that should be shared BEFORE hiring or promoting. To enforce this after the fact is wrong.
Because he wanted/needed to wear shorts we had one driver go through several very painful and expensive laser sessions to remove a tat from his calf that was present the day they hired him, all the time he was in training and the day he made seniority. It was no secret that he had the tat and no one said boo to him about it for 3 years. Now I don't really think the company should pay for the laser thing, that was really the drivers choice, but. What IF the previous tat had been in a place that could not be covered and had to be removed for the driver to keep their job? IMO, that would possibly fall under the second policy I posted.

OH and BTW, I only have noe small tat that would never show unless I went shirtless, and that aint gonna happen. Also, I don't plan on getting any other tats. So that's not my interest in the subject.

 

[UPS Lifer]

trplnkl,
I thought the heat might be an issue! My driver in California looks like a freak. He is the only guy that wears a long sleeve shirt and long pants every day of the year. We get pretty hot in the summer where my soon to be ex-home is. I finally asked him why?

He has an aversion to getting skin cancer and will not take a chance. He is used to wearing the uniform in summer months and it does not pose a problem for him.

A full uniform actually may help you avert sun sickness or stroke also. Just like the folks in the middle east who wear full garb to protect them and keep fluids from dissipating.

My driver HAS to do it because of a health condition and has made it work. Those very few drivers who show tats could also make it work as well.

I can't speak for other districts but my old district has a no tat showing policy. Not sure if the policy is region wide, but my guess is it is region wide.

 

[ups before dawn]

Ok... so with all of this discussion back and forth about what is being enforced and not enforced... fairly or unfairly... I still can't seem to figure out if there is an actual written policy regarding tattoos. Our center just recently started making drivers cover up tattoos... No one has officially said anything to me and the only reason I know about the new policy is that one of the full time on road sups had a bandage covering his and I asked him about it... He said to me that if I am "visible and dealing with the public" I couldn't have any visible tattoos, but since I usually drive only on Saturdays it wouldn't be a problem because there aren't any full time sups around to enforce it (one of my jobs with UPS is as an air driver on Saturdays.). Should I just keep going as usual and leave my tattoos exposed?