Workplace Appearance: Shifting cultural perspectives.

• Author: Anderson, Tom
• Position: WORKPLACE CULTURE

Along with helping manage day-to-day interoffice relationships, human resource (HR) managers also contend with a long list of rules and regulations guiding employee health and wellness in the workplace. The HR department is responsible for helping employees understand their health insurance options and learn how to save for retirement. They also keep track of vacation days, leave, and retirement; major life events; attendance and behavioral issues; and a worker's general appearance. Most businesses have an employee handbook in place that clearly lays out the company's policies and procedures regarding behavior and appearance. And during the past two decades a new sub-section of the "appearance" section of the employee handbook has surfaced: what is and is not acceptable when it comes to body modification.

The most common examples of physical modification are tattoos and piercings. Donning at least one tattoo or piercing is par for the course for many employees, regardless of gender, age, or ethnicity. Today, it's less common that a tattoo and or a piercing will serve as a barrier to nailing that dream job.

The Harris Poll in October 2015 surveyed 2,225 American adults and found almost one-half of Millennials and more than one-third of Gen Xers have at least one tattoo, while 13 percent of Baby Boomers sport a tattoo and one in ten so-called "Matures" have a tattoo or piercing. The 2015 survey reports that three in ten US adults (29 percent) possess at least one tattoo, up from 2012, when two in ten US adults reported having a tattoo. Of those who report having a tattoo, about 70 percent say they didn't stop at one, with seven in ten people reporting having two or more tattoos.

Alaska Executive Search: What the Pros Say

Paula Bradison is a fourth generation Alaskan business owner. She grew up in Wasilla and launched her career in Anchorage; her business footprint traverses the state, having served hundreds of employers and employees throughout her years as an entrepreneur.

One of her newest acquisitions is Alaska Executive Search, a full-service employment company celebrating its 40th year in business. Alaska Executive Search offers employee career counseling and job placement as well as employer staff recruitment and personnel guidance.

Bradison attests to the reality that the job market is competitive, particularly in Alaska as natural resource development jobs dissipate and lower paying hourly positions are being pursued by people of all...