Obesity Discrimination in the Workplace: “You’re Hired!”

Flint, Stuart W.; Codreanu, Sonia C.; Gomoiu, Amalia; Čadek, Martin; Ivić, Vanja; Zomer, Colene; Walton, P. D.

doi:10.5334/jeps.cu

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…First the findings demonstrated that obese candidates were discriminated against when applying for work compared to normal weight candidates and when the weight status of the candidate was not revealed. These findings are in line with previous reports of obesity discrimination in the hiring process of employment (e.g., Bartels and Nordstrom, 2013 ; Flint and Snook, 2014 ; Flint et al, 2015a ). This study goes beyond previous work investigating the impact of weight status on recruitment (e.g., Bartels and Nordstrom, 2013 ) by examining differences in perceived suitability between candidates whose weight status is revealed compared to when it is not revealed.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Second, as acknowledged by Bartels and Nordstrom (2013) , in their study participants rated only one potential candidate per position which is also unlikely in a real hiring process, where typically a range of candidates are assessed. Third, Bartels and Nordstrom (2013) only examined explicit anti-fat attitudes, despite previous research (e.g., Flint et al, 2015a ) suggesting implicit measures are a strong predictor of anti-fat attitudes. Finally, only 44% of participants were employed and 45% had experience of recruiting employees in Bartels and Nordstrom’s (2013) study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Obesity Discrimination in the Recruitment Process: “You’re Not Hired!”

et al. 2016

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Previous literature reports that obese persons are discriminated in the workplace. Evidence suggests that obese people are perceived as having less leadership potential, and in comparison to normal weight peers, are expected to be less successful. This study examined whether obese people are discriminated against when applying for employment. Three hypotheses were offered in line with previous research: (1) obese people are less likely to be assessed positively on personnel suitability than normal weight people; (2) obese people in active employment are more likely to be discriminated against than people in non-active employment; and (3) obese women are more likely to be discriminated against than obese men. 181 Participants were sampled from sedentary, standing, manual and heavy manual occupations. Participants rated hypothetical candidates on their suitability for employment. Employees also completed measures of implicit and explicit attitudes toward obesity. MANOVA was conducted to examine if obese candidates were discriminated against during the recruitment procedure. Results demonstrated that participants rated obese candidates as less suitable compared with normal weight candidates and when the weight status of the candidate was not revealed for work across the four workplace groups. Participant gender and weight status also impacted perceptions of candidates’ suitability for work and discrimination toward obese candidates was higher in participants from more physically demanding occupations. The study findings contribute to evidence that obese people are discriminated against in the hiring process and support calls for policy development.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Obesity Discrimination in the Recruitment Process: “You’re Not Hired!”

et al. 2016

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“…As a result, obese applicants may be less likely to be invited for an interview and employed ( Agerström & Rooth, 2011 ). Another potential explanation could be that obese people were perceived as less “successful” and judged as possessing lower leadership qualities than non-obese peers when reviewing applicants’ suitability for employment ( Flint et al, 2015 ; Flint & Snook, 2014 ; Roehling et al, 2007 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…People experiencing both obesity and disability are often subject to workplace discrimination. For example, a study on European workers revealed that obese workers faced higher discrimination in the hiring process ( Flint et al, 2015 ). Besides, a Canadian study concluded that disabled people faced higher levels of harassment and discrimination in the workplace ( Jones et al, 2018 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age and gender differences in the relationship between obesity and disability with self-perceived employment discrimination: Results from a retrospective study of an Australian national sample

Keramat

Alam

Rana

et al. 2021

SSM - Population Health

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Background Health status is a crucial determinant of an individuals’ labour market outcomes. The present study investigates the association between obesity and disability with perceived employment discrimination within Australia. Methods A total of 17,174 person-year observations from the 11,079 respondents were analysed using four waves of data from the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. The primary outcome examined was employment discrimination, using obesity and disability as the main exposure variables. The longitudinal random-effects regression technique was applied to investigate the between-person differences in employment discrimination associated with obesity and disability. Results The findings suggest that more than one in ten (12.68 %) Australians experienced employment discrimination. The odds of being discriminated against while applying for a job were 1.56 times (aOR: 1.56, 95 % CI: 1.15–2.11) higher for obese than their healthy weight counterparts in youngest women. Adults with a disability had 1.89 times (aOR: 1.89, 95 % CI: 1.65–2.17) higher odds of being discriminated against than peers without disability. Conclusion The results provide evidence that obesity and disability contribute to employment discrimination in Australia. The findings can assist government and related agencies to consider the adequacy of existing discrimination legislation and help organisations to develop appropriate policies to address discrimination against obese and disabled people in their workplaces.

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Disability Discrimination and Obesity: The Big Questions?

Flint

Snook

2015

Curr Obes Rep

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Obesity discrimination in employment and recruitment has become a topic of focus for research examination with increasing reports of discrimination by colleagues and managers.Whilst a limited number of legal cases have emerged, disability law is consulted in line with the expectation of anti-discriminatory practices at work. In line with disability law, whether obesity is defined as a disability or not has an impact on the outcome of a court ruling.Ambiguity when defining obesity through either the medical or social model means there are many questions that remain unanswered which might lead to inconsistency in court rulings.

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Obesity Discrimination in the Workplace: “You’re Hired!”

Cited by 6 publications

References 18 publications

Obesity Discrimination in the Recruitment Process: “You’re Not Hired!”

Obesity Discrimination in the Recruitment Process: “You’re Not Hired!”

Age and gender differences in the relationship between obesity and disability with self-perceived employment discrimination: Results from a retrospective study of an Australian national sample

Disability Discrimination and Obesity: The Big Questions?

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