News of a New York real estate company offering its employees a 15 per cent pay increase if they would tattoo the firm's logo on their body renewed public interest in skin advertising.

Reports said that so far 40 workers had accepted the deal offered by Rapid Realty, representing 5 per cent of their work force. However, more are said to be considering taking the offer.

The company did not mandate a place or size where the workers could have the firm's logo permanently placed on their skin. One female employee had it behind her ear.

Anthony Lolli, owner of the realty firm, said he got the idea when one employee informed him that he had himself tattooed, prompting him to offer the pay increase and to shoulder the $300 cost of the tattoo job. However, he has not had himself inked although he plans to do so one day.

The report yielded various reactions from the public. Shansorh asked if the owner would still pay the 15 per cent pay hike even if an employee is not doing well in his job.

SmoothEdward1 found the practice really pathetic. "I don't know who is worse, the people with so little self-respect they would agree to such a thing, or this poor excuse for a human being, taking advantage of his employees need for more money this way. What an A-hole," he wrote.

Geraldo Dias agreed and added that the company owner treats people like cattle and compared the practice to white slavery, recalling the agricultural practice of farm owners branding their herd using hot iron to mark their ownership of the animal.

He asked who shoulders the cost if the workers eventually decided to call it quits and moves to another job.

People who would be tempted to take such an offer because of financial need should think twice because it would cost them 10 times the cost of inking to have the tattoo removed via laser surgery.

One alternative would be to use special make-up with hides the ink art for up to 12 hours for people to temporarily hide their tattoos.

Michelle van de Horst, owner of Rethink Laser Tattoo Removal, pointed out that some jobs require applicants to have their visible tattoos removed.

Besides job seekers, other customers who frequent her shop include people who have the names of their boyfriends or girlfriends tattooed on their bodies, only part ways with their lovers and enter into a new relationship which may result in them needing to have the old one erased or place another one on top of the previous design or name.

A study found that over 45 million Americans have at least one tattoo and they spend $1.65 billion each to have their bodies inked with names, logos or art permanently. About 36 per cent of them are in the age group 18 to 25.

The removal process would need six to eight sessions which are six to eight weeks apart depending on the size of the tattoo to give time for the skin to heal.

She added that people applying for jobs such as fitness trainers, chefs and hairdressers would often not find it difficult to get hired even if they have tattoos, but other for those seeking work in more conservative jobs such as doctor, nurse, school teacher and lawyer, it would be advisable to have the tattoo placed in body parts hidden by work clothing.