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Beards: The Most Acceptable Form of Self-Expression In The Workplace

Topics: Data & Research
Photo Credit: Pexels

In the last few years, the United States has definitely experienced a resurgence in beards, which last had their heyday in the 1850s, when they became associated with credible figures like Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. Fast forward to 2017, where manly beards have taken over the clean-cut faces of many male workers across the nation. Let’s face it, having a beard is somewhat trendy these days, and for men it’s also a form of self-expression. For hipsters, it’s just plain necessary.

But speaking of self expression, it turns out that beards are the most acceptable way to express your creative side in the workplace. Which is great news if you can grow a beard. But what if you can’t grow a beard? And what if you’re a woman? What other ways are workers allowed to express themselves at work in the year 2017? PayScale investigated these questions and more in our brand new report, Style vs. Salary: Does Your Appearance Impact Your Career?

Facial Piercings and Tattoos Are Still Taboo in the Workplace

When we break down the data from over thirty thousand workers, a few specific things might stick out to you. Like the fact that nose piercings—one of the most common forms of piercing in the US—are the most heavily discouraged. More so than visible tattoos, or even unconventionally colored hair.

As someone who currently has blue hair—and a job—it baffles me that companies would advocate so much against temporary hair color and even piercings, which can easily be removed if needed. This is especially true when you compare that to visible tattoos, which our data shows are still more acceptable than piercings, even though they can’t be removed as easily.

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Do you think companies should have more relaxed dress codes for people with facial piercings? We want to hear from you! Comment below or join the discussion on Twitter!


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