ORLANDO, Fla. — Universal Orlando is relaxing its employee dress code to allow team members of all genders to have visible tattoos and wear makeup and nail polish, according to a copy of the new policy provided to the Orlando Sentinel.
Universal spokesperson Tom Schroder did not confirm the specific dress code changes Thursday but said the guidelines had been updated to help foster a “diverse and inclusive workspace” for employees to express themselves.
“We listen to our team members and know our updated appearance guidelines are as important to current team members as they will be for future ones,” he said in a statement.
The new guidelines took effect in late September, Schroder said. A publicly accessible copy of Universal’s official team member handbook does not yet reflect the changes.
The updates come five months after Disney significantly revised their longstanding dress code, allowing employees to have tattoos and wear gender-inclusive hairstyles, nail art and uniforms.
Universal’s new policy appears similar to Disney’s. According to an employee-provided copy of the updated guidelines, team members are allowed to have “tasteful visible tattoos” with some exceptions, and employees of all genders are allowed to wear “natural” makeup and nail polish in clear, neutral or subtle colors.
Previously, the company did not allow visible tattoos for employees who directly interacted with guests, and workers with tattoos had to cover them. Male employees were not allowed to wear makeup outside of specific entertainment positions and were only allowed to wear clear nail polish, the employee handbook showed.
The updated tattoo guidelines are the most elaborate of the three. Prospective team members must disclose potentially visible tattoos during their job interviews, and the tattoos cannot be on their face, neck, head or hands, with the exception of a single band in place of a wedding ring.
Applicants applying to jobs that involve interacting with guests can only have tattoos smaller than their “closed, extended hand” that do not include content that is “offensive, controversial, or contradictory to the brand of Universal,” the guidelines say. There is no limit to the number of employees’ visible tattoos, but tattoo sleeves are not allowed and team members with sleeve-like tattoos must cover them.
Sean Snaith, an economist and professor at the University of Central Florida, said Universal is likely making the changes at least in part because of an ongoing labor shortage.
“In general, many companies are having difficulty finding employees in the current labor market,” he said. “And given the proliferation of tattoos ... disqualifying [people with] them from the get-go, in the situation when there’s already a labor shortage, is probably not an effective way to fill open positions.”
Decisions such as revising employee dress codes and paying $15 minimum wages — as Disney and Universal have moved to do — are motivated by business strategy and competition as much as social justice, he said. And the companies’ moves toward a more inclusive employee image may influence other employers to do the same.
“Paying higher wages and opening up the scope of potential employees in terms of what they look like is a way for both Universal and Disney to ensure they have the quantity and the quality of employees to meet their guests’ demand,” Snaith said.
———
