A woman accused TJ Maxx of turning her down for a job because of her face, neck and body tattoos, as well as numerous piercings.
Ash Putnam, 23 years old, what’s up @ashxobrien on TikTok, she revealed that she had applied to be a part-time worker at the retailer only to find out that she had been ignored via an automated email “a few weeks” after applying.
“So I wanted to come here and talk about something that’s really starting to bother me,” she began in a TikTok about her failure to get the job.
Her first complaint was that she had found out about her rejection through an automated rejection email instead of a phone call. But this is standard practice for large corporations when applicants don’t make it to the first round of interviews.
Ash Putnam, 23, wanted a part-time job at TJ Maxx to pay off his debt more quickly, but was discouraged when he received a rejection email a few weeks after applying.
She asked an employee in person why she wasn’t hired and was told it was because of her lack of experience, although she suspected her tattoos were the real reason she was rejected.
TJ Maxx does not ask applicants to provide photographs of themselves
Ash then decided to go in person to her local TJ Maxx to demand answers as to why they didn’t hire her.
In Ash’s story, the employee told her that she “didn’t have enough experience” and that there were candidates who had more experience than her.
He later explained that he didn’t “need” the TJ Maxx job, but wanted to supplement his income to pay off his debt more quickly.
It is unclear what Ash’s work history is. However, he prominently advertises his OnlyFans on his TikTok and Instagram, and has talked about having enough money for extensive plastic surgery in addition to external body modifications on his.
In a follow-up TikTok, he also mentioned that he delivers for UberEats.
When Ash asked if his tattoos were the reason for his rejection, the employee assured him that “that wasn’t the reason.”
But Ash suspected that wasn’t entirely true.
“I don’t think that’s true, but whatever, I’ll leave it at that,” he said on TikTok.
Ash’s visible tattoos included satanic imagery, including a goat representing the deity Baphomet with a pentagram on its forehead; and a Leviathan Cross on the back of her hand.
That said, it’s unclear at what point hiring managers would have seen what Ash looked like in relation to his application.
The online application for a TJ Maxx retail associate position does not ask for a portrait; The downloadable PDF of a job application also does not ask for any type of image of potential employees.
Still, Ash took further issue with the logic of corporations wanting to see relevant prior work experience for entry-level, minimum-wage jobs.
“I wonder how teenagers and young adults who haven’t had a job before are supposed to get jobs if these places only hire people with experience.” she questioned.
‘So young people simply can’t get a job because they haven’t worked hard enough? So, will they deny a 16 year old a job because he doesn’t have enough work experience?
‘It just doesn’t make any sense to me.
‘I hate that my tattoos are such a deciding factor in whether I get a job or not. Just because I have tattoos doesn’t mean I won’t be a good worker.
‘I don’t understand that at all. Because literally some of the smartest people I’ve ever met are people with tattoos and piercings.
He also took aim at places that leave “hiring now” signs in perpetuity.
‘Those signs have been up for months and I know a lot of people are looking for work. So how come they still aren’t hired? she maintained.
‘I just feel like this is something that needs to be talked about. It’s so annoying.’
While there was no hard evidence that TJ Maxx’s rejection was due to Ash’s outward appearance, thousands of people who flocked to the comments of her TikTok were quick to argue that her tattoos, in fact, disqualified her from the job of customer service in the relatively simple store.
Thousands of people responded to the comments, and most agreed that the prominent tattoos, some with satanic connotations, were doing Ash no favors in the hiring process.
“Tattooist here, it’s probably the tattoos,” one suggested.
“There are tattoos… And then there are TATTOOS,” noted a second.
“As someone who loves tattoos, it’s 100% tattoos,” a third chimed in.
“There’s a reason tattoo artists refer to face tattoos as the end of their career,” a fourth suggested.
At least two people with experience hiring people added that the tattoos likely would have been a deciding factor, if not the decisive factor.
‘Human resources supervisor here. There is no way any company can put you in front of customers like TJ maxx,” said one of them.
“I used to be a hiring manager at tjmaxx and I’ll tell you it’s all about facial piercings and tattoos,” a second admitted.
And others agreed, as mere strangers considering the bigger picture at hand.
“I’m sure you’re a hard worker, but let’s be fr (really) here,” one reasoned.
“I want to be this delulu,” a second joked.
And as another said: “More often than not, when you turn a blind eye to society, society turns a blind eye to you.”