As Rehctub stated: My business, my choice!

But as for the dole, it's different because that's public rather than anyone's private business: better keep those self-inflicted there rather than encourage them to interfere with jobs, let them remain forever in that garbage-tip, forever poor.

Rehctub "More importantly, at what point do the authorities start to wind back their dole payments, due to self inflicted, anti job prospect actions."

Really?
How would they live then? With no money, they would no doubt have to resort to violence and crime to get by. Sounds great for the rest of us...

If a prospective employer does not like tattoos or piercings , they can insist that the new employee wears clothing to cover Tatts while at work, and to remove the pierced jewellery while at work.
It already happens now, so get with the times Rehctub and all you other 1950's tragics.

I respect your right to choose whichever employee you feel is the best for your business.
But I do think that how you react to people different to themselves has a good deal to do with the era they were brought up in.

What might seem outrageous to you might seem completely normal to them.

As for the people who make themselves unemployable, and anyone else not contributing towards paying their way the system should be changed so that people must earn the right to their welfare in advance, but you have to find good meaningful work for them, not make them feel like lesser people.

I might well be a 50's tragic, but at least with the guidance of my parents in my youth, I have become self sufficient and never have, and hopefully never will be, a burden on society, which is more than I can say for many of these young people wandering hopelessly from day to day, seemingly without a care I n the world.

You see many are cunning, in that they adjust their lifestyles to a point whereby the survive on the dole, with one such example being safety in numbers. ten or more living in one house.

A family consisting on mum and dad with eight kids does not receive $10,000 per month tax free, but ten on the dole receive exactly that, even more if some have kids, and more again if they scam the system and claim single parent allowance, another common scenario that's growing in popularity.

You see as long as we continue to make life comfortable for these people they will continue to adapt because after all, many have come from poor parenting and gone from zero to $250 a week for doing nothing.

One such approach (as I've said many times) is to stop paying but the pc brigade wont wear it.

So while making ones self undesirable to employers may seem harmless in ones youth, where are they going to be in their thirties or forties?

If you think we baby boomers are a headache for government planners, just wait another thirty/forty years and see what's going to happen.

In my view anyone trying to find stable work, especially our youth with huge unemployment stats, should be doing everything in their power to maximise their chances, and like it or not, having bright pink/blue/purple coloured hair or crap hanging everywhere out of their faces is not helping. It may not hinder in some sectors, but it's certainly not helping.

Furthermore, in the likes of food retailing and hospitality, long sleaves are forbidden for health reasons.

As for tats, how many house deposits do you see in a day walking around?

Suseonline, "If a prospective employer does not like tattoos or piercings , they can insist that the new employee wears clothing to cover Tatts while at work, and to remove the pierced jewellery while at work"

Sure and best of luck with that. What if s/he decides otherwise as easily-led attention-seekers with 'issues' are likely to do? Why bother to take the risk in the first place where there are well-qualified, presentable recruits available?

There is a fellow who goes to our local newsagent who has the tatts and dreadlocks. He looks so shiny your eyes slip off him. Never stand down wind! I asked him one day what he did. He answered that he was a 'chef' in one of those evening food'n'booze places frequented by Hipsters. I asked which one so I could tell friends not to go there.

Dear Rehctub,

<<So while making ones self undesirable to employers may seem harmless in ones youth, where are they going to be in their thirties or forties?>>

If the dole was not conditional on playing the game of "trying to find a job" (but only on the fact that you have no income/assets), then they would have no incentive to make themselves undesirable to employers.