Ash Putnam, 23, claims she was denied a job at TK Maxx because of her face and neck tattoos.
In a viral TikTok video, Putnam explained that she had applied for an open position at her local TJ Maxx store. However, she received an automated rejection email without any explanation for being turned down. Suspecting her visible tattoos and facial piercings played a role, she decided to visit the store and confront the management.
“I asked [the manager] if it was about my tattoos, obviously because I know a lot of places don’t like tattoos,” Putnam recounted. While the manager claimed her tattoos weren’t the reason, Putnam didn’t find the response convincing. “I just feel like this is something that needs to be talked about. It’s so annoying.”
Putnam’s tattoos include striking designs like a horned skull on her neck, Satanic imagery on her chest, and a goat’s head with a pentagram on her forehead. Her facial piercings include a large septum ring.
“I hate that my tattoos are such a defining factor for me getting a job or not,” she lamented. “Just because I have tattoos doesn’t mean I’m not going to be a good worker.”
The experience left her questioning how young people are supposed to gain work experience for entry-level jobs if they keep getting rejected for lacking prior experience. “It’s like a catch-22,” she remarked.
While Putnam currently earns income through gig work like Uber Eats as well as content creation on platforms like TikTok and OnlyFans, she feels mainstream employers should look past appearances when hiring.
The video resonated widely, amassing over 8.5 million views in just a week. Many viewers shared similar stories of allegedly being turned down for jobs due to visible tattoos or unconventional appearances. However, others defended employers’ rights to enforce professional appearance standards, especially for customer-facing roles.
TJ Maxx has not publicly addressed Putnam’s allegations. The company’s employment policies and dress code standards for associates are not publicly available.
Source: NY Post