ARTICLE · 11 SEPTEMBER 2016

Can I be sacked for a tattoo?

Stacks Law Firm

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Can an employee be sacked legally if they arrive at work proudly displaying a brand new tattoo?

AustraliaEmployment and HR

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A 21 year old woman applying for work as an airline flight attendant was told she was suitable for the job but then the interviewer noticed she had a small tattoo of an anchor on her ankle.

She was told she could not be employed as the airline had a no-tattoo policy. She could come back if she had it removed. Was the airline legally in the right?

Can an employee be sacked legally if they arrive at work proudly displaying a brand new tattoo?

Nowadays one in seven Australians has a tattoo, according to the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Is it work discrimination to act against a person with a tattoo? What if the tattoo is hidden under long sleeves or long pants?

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