Heavier Workers Are Less Likely to Get Raises and Promotions, Studies Show

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Various studies highlight the impact of weight discrimination in the workplace. Find out why New York and other cities have taken steps to outlaw it and what you can do. 

America has taken some big strides in combating various forms of discrimination over the years. There’s still a long way to go, but workforce discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and age are all illegal. For the most part, however, weight-based discrimination is not. Recent moves in New York may be the start of wider change, but it is early days.

In much of the country, employers can and do discriminate against people because of their weight. Studies show that heavier people are more likely to be passed over for promotions and get paid less. The situation is worse for women — one 2011 study found women earned, on average, 1.8% less for every seven pounds of weight gained.

How your weight can impact your earning potential

There are many ways that people’s prejudices around weight can impact our lives. When it comes to work, it can have a direct impact on your bank account — not only in terms of getting the job you want, but also in terms of how much you get paid. One report by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said there is a “consistent wage penalty for body fat.”

Indeed, a study by the International Journal of Obesity found that 43% of U.S. Weight Watchers participants had experienced weight stigma. The survey showed significant levels of prejudice at work with 57% reporting teasing, unfair treatment, or discrimination by a colleague and 36% reporting it from an employer or supervisor.

Another study by BMC Public Health showed that human resource professionals were less likely to hire an obese person, and less likely to put someone who is overweight or obese into a supervisory role.

There are several studies and I could keep bombarding you with data, but the findings all paint the same picture. Weight discrimination exists. There are lots of factors at play, and campaigners point out that the issue goes beyond the workplace. Current laws reflect social norms, and sadly right now those norms include negative stereotypes associated with being overweight.

To be clear, like many stereotypes, a lot of these perceptions are plain wrong. As an article in Bloomberg points out, “Americans don’t have as much control over their weight as they like to think.” People’s bodies and metabolisms are different, and a lot of the time weight is more connected to genes and environment than it is to willpower.

Some parts of the U.S. are making weight discrimination illegal

The only U.S. state to outlaw weight discrimination is Michigan, which put a law in place back in 1976. More recently, New York City banned height and weight discrimination in legislation that will come into force this November. “We all deserve the same access to employment, housing, and public accommodations, regardless of our appearance,” said New York Mayor Adams.

San Francisco introduced similar legislation in 2000. Weight discrimination is also outlawed in the cities of Urbana, Illinois; Madison, Wisconsin; Santa Cruz, California; and Washington, D.C. A researcher for Vanderbilt University concluded that the measures in Urbana and Madison had helped to combat discrimination.

What you can do if you feel you’ve been discriminated against

Any form of discrimination can have an impact on your mental health and well-being. In addition, if people’s prejudices are stopping you from accessing promotions or earning as much as other people in similar roles, it can make it harder (though not impossible) to save money and build financial security.

Unfortunately, if you don’t live in one of the few locations that don’t protect workers against weight discrimination, it is harder to challenge. One thing you can do is speak to your boss or your company’s HR department. Another may be to try to create a body-positive employee group so you can jointly try to change the culture.

It isn’t easy to fight other people’s prejudices, especially when the law is not on your side. Sadly, there are no easy answers, but speaking up and trying to get your company to address the issue is one of the few routes open to you. Even that can be extremely challenging, particularly if you’re already feeling stigma.

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