Ryan Lacy has two crescent moons on his neck, a celestial sun on his right leg and Chinese lettering down his forearms - tattoos the casino worker doesn't have to hide anymore.

Harrah's Casino recently ended its policy requiring employees to cover their tattoos.

But tattoos still are taboo at many Omaha-area workplaces. A check with 10 companies, ranging from a restaurant to an insurance company, found that eight expected their employees to cover up tattoos.

Four of the eight had a policy that required their employees to hide body art. The other four ask their employees to dress professionally, which typically means no body art.

That's not a surprise to Becky Rupiper-Greene, an Omaha image consultant with Tero International, which specializes in presentation skills and leadership development.

"In the workplace," she said, "it's better to cover up."

Companies, she said, need to keep in mind that their employees are their biggest advertisement. Their appearance should echo what the company wants to convey.

At downtown's Upstream Brewery, employees must cover their tattoos, general manager Aaron Roux said.

"They'll wear long sleeves, socks or dark-colored panty hoses to cover them," he said.

Mutual of Omaha doesn't have a specific policy. But most employees cover up, said Jennifer Whitney, a company spokeswoman.

"They're in a business environment," she said. "They're expected to dress professional. That's common sense."

The Omaha Public Schools do not have a specific policy on tattoos, either. But teachers understand that they're role models and should cover up, said Ed Virant, a human resource administrator for the district.

"There is a general expectation, whether they're a teacher or custodian, that they look professional," he said. "I have yet to hear about a teacher or staff member who has a tattoo that parents or administrators have had a problem with."

Clientele of the entertainment industry may be more receptive to tattoos, Rupiper-Greene said.

Ameristar Casino requires employees to cover tattoos with makeup or a bandage.

At Harrah's, the change came after several employees suggested the casino ease up on its tattoo rules, said Katie Hansen, a Harrah's spokeswoman. Many didn't like caking on makeup to hide their body art, especially when clients sported tattoos themselves.

"You wear makeup on your neck for 10 hours on a hot summer day, and see if you like it," said Lacy, a 29-year-old craps dealer. "It gets pretty hot when you're dealing."