Fat, old and ugly: New wave of discrimination for HR to combat

Fat. Old. Ugly.

No one wants to be called any of those, but it’s happening. In the workplace, of all places.

The new wave of discrimination at work includes weight, height and level of attractiveness, according to research and legal experts. And all the while, age discrimination continues in the workplace.

It’s gotten so bad, legislators in New York City — where almost 4 million people work — banned employment discrimination based on a person’s weight or height (pending the mayor’s approval).

Half of the people at work are concerned about what others think of their appearance in the workplace. So on any given day, someone is thinking, “No one talks to me because I’m fat.” “They think I’m too old do that.” “Everyone is staring at my bald spot.”

What’s worse, some people in the workplace actually are making judgments based on weight, height, appearance and age.

“It’s important that we address all forms of discrimination, and weight {height or appearance} discrimination is no exception,” says Amy Kim, President at PowertoFly. “A person’s body shape should not affect their ability to obtain or maintain employment … Companies need to hire the best of the best, and top talent comes in all shapes and sizes.”

New wave of discrimination looks familiar

Let’s break it down to what researchers and experts know now:

Weight bias

• 26% of employees say they ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ faced discrimination in the workplace because of their weight, a ResumeBuilder survey found
• 71% of those who self-identified as being obese have experienced discrimination
• 53% of those who say they’re overweight have faced discrimination, and
• 42% of those who self-identify as underweight say they’ve been treated unfairly.

Age bias

• 30% U.S. workers have felt unfairly treated because of their age (too young or too old) at some point in their career, a SHRM study found
• For 72% of those who were treated unfairly, it was so bad, it made them want to quit the job
• 26% of employees over 50 say they’ve been the target of age-related remarks at work in the past six months
• 17% of HR pros have received reports of perceived ageism in their workplace, and
• Almost 13,000 age discrimination charges were filed with the EEOC in 2021 (the most recent reported year).

Appearance bias

• 23% of employees say they “definitely” or “probably” faced discrimination because of their attractive or unattractive appearance (as far as being “too attractive,” mostly women cited discrimination because they weren’t taken seriously)
• 64% of men who considered themselves “somewhat” or “very” unattractive said they faced discrimination
• 47% of women who identified as unattractive to some degree said they were treated unfairly, and
• 12% of employees say they have “definitely” or “probably” faced height discrimination.

Note: Employees age 40 or over are a protected class and can be victims of age discrimination under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act. In addition, a federal law known as Title VII protects employees and job applicants from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Physical appearance — height, weight and/or degree of attractiveness — is not a protected class. Yet. Local legislation often catches like a wildfire until it becomes a national issue. (Also note: Obesity may be a disability protected from discrimination by the Americans with Disabilities Act if it results from an underlying physical condition or impairment.)

“The media’s impact on self perception has permeated our culture, and although we recognize its effects on the younger generation, we do not often address the effect on those in the workplace,” says ResumeBuilder’s Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller. “As organizations continue to improve opportunities for all by addressing discrimination issues, they should also be looking at physical appearance discrimination.”

Still, HR pros don’t want any kind of behaviors that could be considered discriminatory — or just mean — in their workplace.

Combat discriminatory behaviors

The EEOC’s E-RACE Initiative is groundwork for any organization to help employees be aware of discrimination and take steps to stop it, regardless of its origin. You can get advice and more details on the EEOC’s website.

Here are the critical reminders for employees (also included in handouts) to combat discriminatory behaviors in the workplace:

• Respect all differences in the workplace
• Be professional in conduct and speech
• Refuse to initiate, participate or condone discrimination and harassment
• Avoid race-based, culturally offensive, age or appearance humor or pranks. When in doubt, leave it outside the workplace
• Familiarize yourself with the company’s workplace policies and act responsibly
• Attend training on EEO principles and learn about your legal rights and responsibilities under the anti-discrimination laws
• Be proactive. Report incidents of inappropriate, discriminatory, harassing or abusive behavior to your supervisor, Human Resources department, union or management, and
• If you experience or witness discrimination or harassment contact EEOC or your local human rights commission.