Overweight workers ‘face job discrimination’

Employees who are overweight find it harder to get jobs than workers of a normal weight, an online survey has suggested.

A study of 2,000 human resources professionals by ‘Personnel Today’, found that 93% of those questioned would choose an applicant of ‘normal weight’ over an obese applicant for a job, even if they had the same experience and qualifications.

Fifteen per cent also said that they would be less likely to promote an overweight employee.

Nearly a third of respondents said that they believed obesity was a “valid medical reason” for not employing a person, while more than one in ten believed that they had the right to dismiss an employee because of their weight.

The study found that nearly half of HR professionals believed that obesity would affect a worker’s productivity, while a similar number believed that it indicated a lack of self-discipline.

One in ten also admitted that they would not want an overweight employee to meet a client.

Karen Dempsey, editor of Personnel Today, said: “To date, obesity has not been given the same recognition as sex, age disabilities and race discrimination.

“But as our survey shows, overweight workers are being marginalised and given fewer opportunities than their slimmer counterparts.

“A clearer definition of obesity is needed to help businesses understand how obesity truly affects performance in the workplace.”

(KMcA/SP)