Overweight People Face Employment Discrimnation

appearance counts for masses in getting a job

In the UK and America there is no actual law which prevents employers from discriminating against people based on weight. There are legal instruments which prevent employers from discriminating against people based on gender, religion and ethnic origin but there is nothing presently on the legal statutes to prevent discrimination against overweight and obese people. This may change soon as there have been increasing calls for a change in the law to safeguard obese people who find it difficult to get jobs.

A number of studies show that overweight and obese individuals are more likely to be unemployed and also are more probable to be paid less than normal weight people. If you need evidence that employers tend to discriminate on the basis of appearance you only need to look at one particular study which was seen in the Journal of Applied Psychology (which looked specifically at height) and which claims that for each extra inch over 5ft 9 inches a man can expect to be paid almost $800 more every year, and the same applies for women having each extra inch over 5ft 4 inches.

Opponents to changing the rules regarding obesity say that in many cases people are obese because they choose to be and therefore there is no reason why employers should have to employ them.

The fact is that appearance counts for masses in getting a job. Companies like to hire individuals who are healthy and good looking because it reflects on the image of the company.  Overweight people must face facts and realise they are less employable if they are overweight and should take steps to improve their career prospects by getting professional help to lose weight.

Being of a normal weight is not only healthier but also improves your quality of life, so bite the bullet, face facts and set a goal to keep thin and healthy for the rest of your life.