The recent story of an East London bar which advertised for “extremely attractive” bar staff has again highlighted the issue of professional discrimination on the basis of physical appearance. The ad stated that “physical attractiveness is unfortunately necessary for this role” and that female applicants “must be comfortable wearing black heels”. It was eventually withdrawn.
In some countries it’s considered routine to ask job applicants for information about their appearance, including their height and weight. During his election campaign, Korean president Moon Jae-in vowed to put an end to such practices.
A university in the US has introduced a course entitled ‘Fat Studies’, where students can “examine body weight, shape and size as an area of human difference subject to privilege and discrimination that intersects with other systems of oppression based on gender, race, class, age, sexual orientation, and ability.” Prof Patti Lou Watkins, who teaches the course at Oregon State University, said that “weight-based bias and discrimination” has increased as the “war on obesity has escalated”.
Have you felt discriminated against in the workplace because of your weight, or been unfairly treated due to your appearance? Were you overlooked for a job, harassed by colleagues, or asked to dress differently? Please share your story – anonymously if you prefer – using the form below or by emailing us at inequality.project@theguardian.com. We hope to use a selection of the responses in our future reporting of this issue.
