It seems that weight issues are now a source for discrimination in the workplace as overweight workers are finding it harder to get jobs compared to their slimmer counterparts.
According to a magazine survey of 2000 personnel officers, it was discovered that most of them preferred to offer jobs to workers who have a normal weight.
The survey done by Personnel Today revealed that 50 per cent of the polled individuals thought that obesity affected productivity. A similar number also believed that overweight people lacked self-discipline.
The survey also found out that one in ten personnel officers would not want an overweight employee to meet up with a client. More alarmingly, the same percentage of personnel officers said that they believed that they could sack a worker for being obese.
The magazine said that it suggested hidden discrimination and overweight people were missing out because up to now obesity has not yet been given the same recognition as age, sex, disabilities and race discrimination.
But the magazine said that their survey shows that overweight workers are indeed being marginalised and given fewer opportunities than their slim counterparts. They said that a clearer definition of obesity is needed to help business owners understand how the condition truly affects workplace performance.
Company formation and business solutions professionals are suggesting that a paradigm shift is needed in order for business owners and personnel officers to realise that job performance is based on skills and relevant work experience and not on excess body weight.