- UPS will allow workers to display their tattoos in a shake-up to its strict appearance policy.
- Tattoos can now be displayed as long as they're not offensive or on the head, face, neck, or hands.
- UPS announced late last year that male employees can now have long hair and beards.
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The United Parcel Service is eliminating its ban on visible tattoos, the latest shake-up to the company's historically harsh appearance policy.
UPS, which has more than 500,000 employees worldwide, has informed staff that they may now display body art and tattoos, provided they don't contain offensive words or images. Workers are also not allowed to display tattoos on their hands, head, neck, or face. The change will apply to all employees.
The update was first revealed in a post on the UPS subreddit.
"UPS has updated its appearance guidelines so our employees can show their tattoos, further showcasing their individuality and self-expression, within the bounds of good, professional judgment," a UPS spokesperson told Insider. "We want all of our employees to bring their unique perspectives, backgrounds, talents and skills to work every day."
The latest update marks another major shift for UPS' appearance policy in the last few months. Male employees have long been required to keep their hair short, but in November, the parcel-delivery service began allowing hairstyles like "afros, braids, curls, coils, locs, twists and knots" and lifted its ban on facial hair for public-facing roles, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
The decision was made to "celebrate diversity rather than corporate restrictions," UPS said at the time.
The company appears to still have limits in place for piercings - employees are allowed to wear earrings and small facial piercings, but they must appear "businesslike," according to The Journal.