Size Discrimination in the Workplace

written on August 29, 2011 by Tameka Taylor

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Size is another area of diversity that isn’t discussed much in the workplace but is an aspect where people are discriminated. This is an area of discrimination that people are just starting to address. Large employees are routinely abused, belittled, and held back from promotions and opportunities. Recently, a research study found that discrimination to plus size individuals, especially women, occur as frequently as racial discrimination. Both genders experience discrimination based on size but women experience it at a greater level.
Employees who are considered obese are paid 12% less than thin women. These women are less likely to be hired as well. Another study noted that 93% of people making hiring decisions said they would select a thin applicant over a plus- size one based on their weight. Often these people experience being in other marginalized groups such as being African Americans, Latinos and other minority groups. However, size discrimination impacts all races, genders and socioeconomic levels. This group of people is subjected to so many stereotypes due to their size. There have also been job applicants who got a positive reception after sending in their resume and on the telephone. However, that warm disposition changed once they were in the interview and their size was apparent to the employer.
While only Michigan and 6 cities have laws to protect people against weight discrimination, there are still ways employers can address this type of discrimination. There are some things that can be done to address size discrimination behaviors and attitudes. People have to stop judging people who are larger and making comments about them. Business owners should try to educate their employees about size bias and discrimination. Business owners can also encourage staff members to volunteer at company sponsored health-related activities. Also, employers can create “no diet/no body-hatred zones” in the workplace and provide employees with a list of organizations that can provide them with support such as Council on Size and Weight Discrimination, Body Positive and The Plus Size Yellow Pages.