What Piercings Are Allowed in Your Workplace?

And who decides? Many workplaces don’t have clear rules about piercings. Instead, they rely on culture. What’s already visible. What’s been challenged. What people quietly remove before interviews.

The result is uncertainty.

Some roles allow visible piercings without question. Others tolerate them only if they’re small, discreet, or hidden. Rarely is this based on actual job performance. More often, it’s inherited expectation.

What’s interesting is how inconsistent these standards are. A visible tattoo might be fine, but a nostril stud isn’t. Multiple ear piercings are acceptable, but facial piercings cross an invisible line.

These rules are rarely neutral. They’re shaped by tradition, personal bias, and outdated perceptions of professionalism.

As workplaces evolve, these questions deserve clearer answers. Not to restrict people further, but to remove the need for guesswork and quiet self-editing.

Until then, many people will continue to ask themselves the same question before choosing a piercing: “Will this cost me something?”

It’s a bigger issue than jewellery.