professionalism
{{Short description|Standards expected in a workplace}}
{{Distinguish|Professionalization}}
{{Multiple issues|
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{{expert needed|Business|date=January 2025}}
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Professionalism is a set of standards that an individual is expected to adhere to in a workplace, usually in order to appear serious, uniform, or respectful. What constitutes professionalism is hotly debated and varies from workplace to workplace and between cultures. Professionalism is typically defined as a mix of professional ethics and dress code.
Definition
Common traits of a "professional" person include:{{Cite web|title=Professionalism|url=https://career.vt.edu/content/career_vt_edu/en/develop/professionalism.html|access-date=2023-07-21|website=Virginia Tech|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Professionalism |url=https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/odep/topics/youth/softskills/professionalism.pdf|website=U.S. Department of Labor}}{{Cite web|title=15 Characteristics of Professionals|author=Jennifer Herrity|url=https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/professional-characteristics|website=Indeed.com}}
- integrity
- punctuality
- reliability
- organization skills
- emotional intelligence
- appropriate dress
Changing attitudes
Having tattoos is considered taboo in some workplaces, but this has been changing in recent years.{{Cite news |date=2019-06-15 |title=Tattoos at work: Are they still an issue? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48620528 |access-date=2023-07-21}} A University of Miami survey found that respondents who had tattoos were more likely to be employed than non-tattooed respondents, although the researchers cautioned that this result was correlative.{{Cite news |last=Beard |first=Alison |date=2018-11-01 |title=A Tattoo Won't Hurt Your Job Prospects |work=Harvard Business Review |url=https://hbr.org/2018/11/a-tattoo-wont-hurt-your-job-prospects |access-date=2023-07-21 |issn=0017-8012}} In New Zealand, some businesses have dropped bans on traditional Māori tattoos.{{Cite web |title=Māori broadcaster becomes first to anchor news with traditional chin tattoo |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/12/30/new-zealand-anchor-traditional-maori-tattoo/9053099002/ |access-date=2023-07-21 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=2019-06-10 |title=Air New Zealand drops ban on staff tattoos |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48577668 |access-date=2023-07-21}}
Hairstyles are also subject to professionalism requirements in many workplaces. In the United States, employers have banned natural hairstyles for African Americans, resulting in a push for CROWN Act laws (Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair).{{Cite web |title=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/ |access-date=2023-07-21 |website=www.msn.com}}{{Cite web |date=2022-03-18 |title=House passes Crown Act banning discrimination against Black hairstyles |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/house-passes-crown-act-banning-discrimination-black-hairstyles-rcna20617 |access-date=2023-07-21 |website=NBC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=The Official CROWN Act |url=https://www.thecrownact.com/ |access-date=2023-07-21 |website=The Official CROWN Act |language=en-US}}