Ash Putnam, a 23-year-old with tattoos and piercings on her face, posted on TikTok about how upset she was that she didn’t get the job at TJ Maxx. Her video went popular and started a heated argument about how to hire people and body art.
Putnam got an automatic email telling her that her application was not accepted, but she went to the office to find out why. They told her it was because she didn’t have enough experience.
But Putnam thought that her tattoos might be the real reason. The store worker denied this, but comments on the internet made it seem like they were right. A lot of people thought her body art was to blame, and some pointed to company rules and what customers expect.
@ashxobrien I want to know who is also having a hard time finding a job right now! #jobs #jobmarket ♬ original sound – Ash🖤
Putnam agreed, saying, “I’m sure it’s because of my tattoos.” “People think they are evil and scary.” Even though people are mean to her, she still wants companies to think about how they hire people.
Her video got 7 million views and thousands of comments, which showed how tattoos are still looked down upon at work. Some people protected TJ Maxx’s possible worries, while others backed Putnam’s right to say what she thought.
This event brings up important questions, like should tattoos make it harder to get a job? Can businesses find a balance between personality and what customers want? Putnam’s story starts a conversation that needs to happen about diversity and how the workplace is changing.
