Can being too fat cost you a job? Yes.

ChitownFoodie

http://www.chicagonow.com/chicagos-real-law-blog/2011/08/not-getting-a-job-because-you-are-fat-you-are-out-of-luck/#/

I thought this article was interesting....not fair, but nonetheless interesting.

Chowder_17

In the military it can...

kasmir8199

I'm not surprised...

mrphil86

Not only in the military but I see it in the civilian sector too all the time.

Elle_Jamaicangirl81

mmhmm, depends on the job.

MayhemModels

Most of the time company's or businesses will terminate you for that reason but will say it was for another reason....Very sad IMOP

mrphil86

mmhmm, depends on the job.

Actually it doesn't, it could be a desk job but you can be turned down as long as there is a madatory physical for all employees. No law right now prohibits discrimination against obesity.

MzBug

My fav is the posted job openings that say... "unemployed need not apply".

thetrishwarp

You're more liable to rely on the company's health insurance, as obesity obviously comes with many health issues. It's an added expense to the company, and of course they don't want that.

alexisrebecca

I could appreciate it if the position was physically demanding (fire fighter, army etc) but for an office job? hmmm

DawnOf1969

You're more liable to rely on the company's health insurance, as obesity obviously comes with many health issues. It's an added expense to the company, and of course they don't want that.

Exactly and that raises the bottom line for everyone. It makes health insurance premiums a lot higher. As a Supervisor (not employer), my obese employees tend to miss more "sick" days than other, more fit, employees. Which makes more work on the others as well making them take up the slack for the "sick" employees. Just an observation.

vass78

I think our laws need to be amended. Considering that age discrimination only applies if you're over 40. Seriously? Also, I think companies should take a vested interest in their employees and encourage them to attain a healthy lifestyle.

sleepytexan

Also you can't adopt from certain countries if your body mass index is too high.

ChitownFoodie

Also you can't adopt from certain countries if your body mass index is too high.

WOW, i definitely didnt know that one.

pixiechick8321

I think our laws need to be amended. Considering that age discrimination only applies if you're over 40. Seriously? Also, I think companies should take a vested interest in their employees and encourage them to attain a healthy lifestyle.

Some do - my hospital had incentives for employees from money to free gym time and other prizes for doing physicals, exercising, etc. But the cost is still a factor - perhaps it should be a higher paycheck for healthier employees...

lizdavis07

i didnt look at the link but..

years ago i went to an interview at Hooters and i overheard them talking about a previous girl trying to get a job there and they wouldnt hire her because she was overwight and "wouldnt be good for business"....i felt bad for the poor girl...i got the job then refused it

mrphil86

i didnt look at the link but..

years ago i went to an interview at Hooters and i overheard them talking about a previous girl trying to get a job there and they wouldnt hire her because she was overwight and "wouldnt be good for business"....i felt bad for the poor girl...i got the job then refused it

That's the thing, America and most of the world is hung up on image. Just about everybody is guilty of it including myself. Most of us wouldn't be here if we were not.

I'll be honest, I don't go to hooters to see a fat woman in short shorts and a tight tank top. It's messed up but it's the down right truth.

lizdavis07

i didnt look at the link but..

years ago i went to an interview at Hooters and i overheard them talking about a previous girl trying to get a job there and they wouldnt hire her because she was overwight and "wouldnt be good for business"....i felt bad for the poor girl...i got the job then refused it

That's the thing, America and most of the world is hung up on image. Just about everybody is guilty of it including myself. Most of us wouldn't be here if we were not.

I'll be honest, I don't go to hooters to see a fat woman in short shorts and a tight tank top. It's messed up but it's the down right truth.

yea i think what bothered me the most was the WAY they were talking about her and very unprofessional to allow me to hear

Ocarina

This happened when I worked at Abercrombie and Fitch. They put the fat or unnatractive people in the back doing stock if they even ever got hired... All the rest of us had to be young, fit in the clothes, and wear them right or no paycheck.

momcindy

Like it or not, first impressions are almost always based on what someone looks like. If someone is overweight, all kinds of assumptions are made about them.

ShapeUpSidney

You're more liable to rely on the company's health insurance, as obesity obviously comes with many health issues. It's an added expense to the company, and of course they don't want that.

Yup! Our company won't hire you if you are a smoker either...

ShapeUpSidney

This happened when I worked at Abercrombie and Fitch. They put the fat or unnatractive people in the back doing stock if they even ever got hired... All the rest of us had to be young, fit in the clothes, and wear them right or no paycheck.

Well, A&F uses brand ambassadors on the sales floor, so that's not an EOE job opportunity...

fbmandy55

The last placed I worked was a medical precertification company. Mostly nurses (older 45-75 years old) and some support staff. 90% of us were obese. I gained 60lbs working there including a pregnancy, not to mention endless carry-ins and going out to eat. When we were bought out by a new company the CEO not only rant he place into the ground, but due to his cultural beielfs discriminated against women and particularly the heaviest ones. One former employee who he wanted to comeback looked good to him on paper but when she came in, he told her to her face she was "disgustingly overweight."

I quit about a month later and last I heard there were only 2 part-time employees left. Karma got him with $100's of thousands of dollars in state labor law violations

kyle4jem

This happened when I worked at Abercrombie and Fitch. They put the fat or unnatractive people in the back doing stock if they even ever got hired... All the rest of us had to be young, fit in the clothes, and wear them right or no paycheck.

It's harsh, but A&F is a lifestyle brand that panders to a certain demographic. I doubt they make clothes in size XL or above and I don't think plus-size folks would even think of shopping there. It might not be morally right, but in a commercial world it makes business sense to have the "beautiful people" front of store.

Thankfully the company I work for (US company with offices worldwide) certainly does not discriminate on basis of size as there are a few folks even bigger than me. I was about 25kg (55lbs) lighter but still overweight when I joined 9 yrs ago and have been promoted on merit 3 times.:bigsmile:

saltorian

Ironically, I suspect my sweetheart got rejected from a job at our local McDonalds because she was obese at the time. She had open availability, good references, interviewed well, and lived within walking distance of the place, but when she called them back she was finally told that she failed the "personality" section of the hiring quiz they made her fill out.

Whatever that means. I know her -- she wouldn't have given any antisocial or off-the-wall answers. I highly suspect it was a weight and image issue. Screwed up, but true.

ncrissey460

Yes it can! I do intensive home services and i had a partner who weight well over 500lbs and eventually he lost his job because of his weight. He could hardly get into some of the homes to do therapy, he would break clients furniture, he would pee himself accidently, he had an oxygen mask that was a major distraction when trying to help clients and what client wants to listen to a person tell them how to changes their lives when they obviously need to make some changes themselves and refuse to. Poor guy but he just couldnt do the job. I refused to ride with him in a vehicle afriad for my life that he would have a heart attack or stroke while driving. He got me on the right start for myself by to eating right and trying to help him change his lunch choices. I didnt want to end up like that and he was only 45.

teri1956

Smokers and those who drink more than others are also a hazard and are a cause of increases of health insurance premiums. I wonder if that comes up in the these job physical interviews? I mean, people can be misleading about the amount they smoke and drink and it would take additional testing than just a regular physical to ferret out the how badly the applicant's health is effected.