Watch Your Waistline Because Your Job May Depend on it
Do you watch your waistline?
Most of us do. It is not only a matter of personal appearance that should motivate you to watch your waistline. You will want to watch your waistline for business purposes.
Watch Your Waistline To Increase Your Income
Watching your waistline may increase your income by avoiding fat discrimination in the workplace. Does anyone who has ever held a job feel that the workplace is without prejudice or discrimination? No, it's not.
The workplace will probably never be without prejudice because it is a fluid environment fraught with any number of inter-related factors competing with each other to make the company and employees prosperous. Companies are comprised of individuals trying to make a buck, cover their butt, and accrue wealth. It's a minefield of unfair and discriminatory behaviors. This is a reality you should accept.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made sure that everyone in the United States has the right to employment free from discrimination based upon race, creed, color, sex or national origin. However, being overweight and having a large waistline is not considered a "protected class" under Title VII.
Watch Your Waistline Because Obesity Is Not A Disability
Being overweight or obese is not considered a disability in the workplace.
A disability is considered to be a condition, usually permanent in nature, which impedes someone from performing the usual physical and mental functions necessary to perform their job.
Federal courts have ruled that being overweight or obese does not constitute grounds for discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Therefore, an employer can discriminate against a person who is overweight.
This type of discrimination is very subtle and is often cloaked in reasonable verbiage as to why an individual with a large waistline will not be an asset to the company. Don't ever expect to hear "You're fat and we won't hire you" come from a potential employer's mouth.
Rather, they will say you're "not qualified." It's a nice, politically correct way of saying you're not being hired. A potential employee's appearance may not be the only criterion used to justify not hiring overweight individuals.
Well-justified fears of higher insurance costs, increased illness, and the resultant lost productivity can jade an employer's hiring decisions. Higher disability insurance costs may raise the overhead of the business.
Remember, the reason to be in business is to make a profit. Higher employee costs, whether insurance costs or loss of productivity, is going against the program when business decisions are being made.
A Very Real Fear Among Employers
The RAND Health Study, published in the January 2004 issue of Health Affairs Journal, reported that an epidemic of overweight and obese workers has resulted in the rates of disability insurance to rise. These figures are based on the last two decades monitoring Americans less than sixty years of age.
It was found that overweight or obese individuals aged 30-49 who are disabled to the point of being unable to care for themselves or perform routine tasks has increased by more than 50% from 1984 to the year 2000.
In other words, if you do not watch your waistline you better start. You may not be inclined to watch your waistline but others most certainly are observing and calculating if your bulging belly is costing them money.
Most of us do. It is not only a matter of personal appearance that should motivate you to watch your waistline. You will want to watch your waistline for business purposes.
Watch Your Waistline To Increase Your Income
Watching your waistline may increase your income by avoiding fat discrimination in the workplace. Does anyone who has ever held a job feel that the workplace is without prejudice or discrimination? No, it's not.
The workplace will probably never be without prejudice because it is a fluid environment fraught with any number of inter-related factors competing with each other to make the company and employees prosperous. Companies are comprised of individuals trying to make a buck, cover their butt, and accrue wealth. It's a minefield of unfair and discriminatory behaviors. This is a reality you should accept.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made sure that everyone in the United States has the right to employment free from discrimination based upon race, creed, color, sex or national origin. However, being overweight and having a large waistline is not considered a "protected class" under Title VII.
Watch Your Waistline Because Obesity Is Not A Disability
Being overweight or obese is not considered a disability in the workplace.
A disability is considered to be a condition, usually permanent in nature, which impedes someone from performing the usual physical and mental functions necessary to perform their job.
Federal courts have ruled that being overweight or obese does not constitute grounds for discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Therefore, an employer can discriminate against a person who is overweight.
This type of discrimination is very subtle and is often cloaked in reasonable verbiage as to why an individual with a large waistline will not be an asset to the company. Don't ever expect to hear "You're fat and we won't hire you" come from a potential employer's mouth.
Rather, they will say you're "not qualified." It's a nice, politically correct way of saying you're not being hired. A potential employee's appearance may not be the only criterion used to justify not hiring overweight individuals.
Well-justified fears of higher insurance costs, increased illness, and the resultant lost productivity can jade an employer's hiring decisions. Higher disability insurance costs may raise the overhead of the business.
Remember, the reason to be in business is to make a profit. Higher employee costs, whether insurance costs or loss of productivity, is going against the program when business decisions are being made.
A Very Real Fear Among Employers
The RAND Health Study, published in the January 2004 issue of Health Affairs Journal, reported that an epidemic of overweight and obese workers has resulted in the rates of disability insurance to rise. These figures are based on the last two decades monitoring Americans less than sixty years of age.
It was found that overweight or obese individuals aged 30-49 who are disabled to the point of being unable to care for themselves or perform routine tasks has increased by more than 50% from 1984 to the year 2000.
In other words, if you do not watch your waistline you better start. You may not be inclined to watch your waistline but others most certainly are observing and calculating if your bulging belly is costing them money.
