After a corporate employee’s photo with her tattoos went viral, experts reveal how a middle ground can be reached when it comes to freedom of expression in the workspace
Representation pic
Let’s all collectively give a hand to Jessica Hanzie Leonard’s managing partner at the private equity firm where she works. As a US-based professional working in a corporate atmosphere, Leonard hid a secret from her colleagues and clients for years — the fact that both her arms were fully tattooed. But then she wrote an email to her managing partner, asking him whether she could change her LinkedIn profile picture to one where she is sleeveless, while maintaining the jacketed look for the company’s official website. His response? “Let’s roll with the tattoos in both! Loud and proud!”
Jessica Hanzie Leonard used to keep her tattoed arms covered before posting the photo on the right on Linkedin
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It would have ended well had it been left at that. But unfortunately, once Leonard changed her profile photo, she got a lot of judgmental comments that said that she’d crossed the line of professional decorum. What’s worse is that some of these comments were from female mentors she had earlier looked up to. It showed how people stuck in a corporate shell are expected to follow certain diktats that are set in stone — dress a certain way, talk in a certain manner, and sometimes even follow skincare regimes. Image consultant Mihika Bhanot tells us about a person who had all the required credentials for a job, but didn’t crack the interview because her face was full of pimples, and her potential employers didn’t feel comfortable about presenting her before clients. “I also have a friend who has stitches on her eyebrows. She doesn’t get her eyebrows threaded because the emphasis will then be on the stitches. When I get my own eyebrows threaded, I feel more confident. I feel like taking a picture of myself. So, I empathise with this girl. So what if she has stitches? So what if someone has stretch marks? It’s all fine,” she adds.
Nishigandha Shengde (left) and Soni Talwar Gulati
A dual life
Sadly, that’s not how corporate workplaces always view the situation. “It’s the culture. There are certain things that are dos and don’ts, and [workplaces] try to ensure that employees are not following the don’ts,” says Pune-based HR manager Soni Talwar Gulati. She gives examples like men not being allowed to wear shorts or chappals to offices, and women not being allowed to wear shoes that expose their toes. These sorts of things affect employees’ mental health, because it’s almost like having a dual personality — for the better part of their waking hours, they are putting on a garb to subscribe to corporate decorum, abandoning who they really are from within. But Gulati also says that things are gradually beginning to change. “Today, diversity and inclusion, and mental health, are some of the most talked-about things in the professional space. Freedom of expression is becoming okay. You can flaunt tattoos. You can have coloured hair. You can be from the LGBTQiA+ community, and it’s all okay. The point is that if you are not letting your employees be a particular way, they are not going to enjoy their workspace. They will not put in their 100 per cent.”
Mihika Bhanot
Gen Z to the rescue
She attributes this shift in mentality to workplaces having to accommodate the Gen Z generation. “You can’t cage them, and organisations are also moving in that direction,” Gulati explains. Mumbai-based Nishigandha Shengde, also an HR manager, agrees. “For corporates, it’s extremely important to remove biases so that employees feel comfortable. If we talk about the way a person dresses, how can you create judgement based on that, right? There are a lot of leaders nowadays who are dressed casually. But the moment they start making a presentation, nobody cares how they look. They care about what the person is saying, how effectively they are doing their job, or how their speech is so inspirational. So, what actually matters is the talent and skill they bring to the table.”
That’s exactly what Leonard, the tattooed woman who is a model employee, wrote about her exemplary managing partner in her post that went viral. We will leave you with what she said, because collectively, as people part of a global work culture, we need to reflect on her opinion. It goes, “Sometimes, you come across those leaders who not only allow you to show up every day as you are, but they also expect it. Those leaders who have recognised that whether I’m in the jacket or not, I’m the same person, the same business professional… a female leader who will most certainly be taken seriously.”
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