She claims that she was denied a job at departmental store chain TK Maxx.
Tattoos are a super-hip fashion statement that can make anyone the focus of attention, but for a woman in the United States, they became a constant source of rejection everywhere she went. Recently, Ash O'Brien, from California, vented about how difficult it has been for her to get a job due to her appearance, as per a report in Independent.
She claims that she was denied a job at US departmental store chain TK Maxx after being judged for her neck and face tattoos. She has several tattoos that include a pattern on her forehead, solid black patches on her arms, and a skull with horns on her neck. The 23-year-old is also heavily pierced on her face, with a big silver ring dangling from her septum, among others. Currently, she works at Uber Eats and Only Fans. However, she wants to earn money to supplement her income and pay her debt.
"I applied for a job at TJ Maxx a few weeks ago and they denied my application. They couldn't even call me, they just sent me some automated email," she said in a TikTok video.
She said she went to the store to ask why she was not hired. "I went in today and was like, 'So what was the reason why I didn't get hired?' She was like, 'Oh you just don't have enough experience there were candidates that had more experience than you'," the woman said.
Ms O'Brien stated that she asked the hiring manager if tattoos played any part in her rejection. She said in the video, "I asked her if it was about my tattoos obviously because I know a lot of places don't like tattoos. She said that wasn't the reason, I don't feel like that's true but whatever I will leave it at that."
Later, the 23-year-old asked people to share their experiences in the job market and questioned if anyone else had encountered similar challenges. "I wanna know if I'm the only one experiencing this or no. I hate that my tattoos are such a defining factor for me getting a job or not. Like, just because I have tattoos doesn't mean I'm not gonna be a good worker... I do not understand that at all because quite literally some of the most smart, intelligent people I've ever met are people with tattoos and piercings."
She continued, "I could be wrong but I've seen in Europe people with tattoos and piercings can get jobs like way easier there, so (has) America not hopped on the bandwagon?"
Ms O'Brien's video has amassed over seven million views. Many people said that her attitude was to blame rather than her tattoos. Others believed her body tattoos played a role in the rejection.
"Tattooer here, it's probably the tattoos," one person wrote.
Another added, "HR supervisor here. There is no way any company would put you in front of customers like TJ Maxx."
"I will tell you it's the facial piercings and tattoos," said a user.