Body size: The workplace diversity issue we never talk about
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What if I told you that 71% of the U.S. population — in 48 states — wasn’t protected from workplace discrimination? You’d be outraged, right?
That is the case for larger-bodied people, who comprise an increasing share of the population.
Weight discrimination is legal in most states, and the workplace is a common setting for such bias, according to research from University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center For Food Policy and Obesity. Women are more likely than men to face this discrimination.
The result: An increasing share of the U.S. workforce has been shunned and, perhaps, may not be advancing as rapidly.
“People are afraid of fat. They are afraid of the word fat. They are afraid of being fat. They are afraid of being around fat people,” said Jessica Richman, the founder and CEO of the Vision Collective, an organization that advises companies on how to support plus-sized people. “Companies are missing out on talent due to this hidden bias that is not really discussed.”
More than half of employers in the U.K. believe they are missing out on talent due to weight discrimination, according to recent research conducted by LinkedIn. Richman, for her part, says she has gone through job interviews where she has been given the impression that hiring managers are making assumptions about her work ethic based on her weight. Ignoring body size at work can also lead to accessibility issues, with cafeterias and conferences rooms not being inclusive of larger workers.
Such discrimination exacts a financial toll on larger women.
“Plus women face more workplace discrimination, are hired less, and are fired more," said Lauren Haber Jonas, the founder and CEO of Part & Parcel, a platform for plus-sized women. "That means they have less earning potential and career growth opportunities in the long term, which puts them at a disadvantage."
Experts says corporate leaders won't change until discrimination against larger-bodied workers becomes federally protected by the government. In the absence of federal protection, Richman recommends that workers take matters into their own hands and tackle such discrimination head on. This will also require the entire workforce to acknowledge and face their unconscious biases.
“For me, in my own professional experience, I have brought it up,” said Richman. “It is okay that you use the word fat. It is not a bad word. I don’t feel uncomfortable,” she has told others.
Join us live: We went live with theCURVYcon co-founder Chastity Garner Valentine to discuss this issue and take your questions. Garner Valentine founded theCURVYcon — the biggest plus-sized event at fashion week — to address a growing demand for size inclusivity within the industry. She shared how body positivity can be incorporated into the workplace. Tune in above.
What’s Working
Money where your mouth is. After decades of silence, more women are openly discussing their salaries as a way to crowdsource information and address the gender pay gap. “Talking to a colleague can help pinpoint the going rate or range, particularly in newer industries, or creative fields, where there isn’t a precedent.” [NYTimes]
Dads on leave. Instawork Co-Founder and CEO Sumir Meghani shares how his experience becoming a parent shaped his thinking on the parental leave policy at his startup. “A task that seemed initially difficult — delegating many of my CEO duties — felt very manageable with good planning and loyal and trustworthy colleagues,” he writes. [LinkedIn]
- Related: After decades of women in corporate America getting asked by journalists like me how they "balance it all," venture capitalist and parental leave advocate Alexis Ohanian is asking working dads the same question. His new podcast, Business Dad, launched last week.
What Needs Work
Say my name. It’s fine if you don’t know how to pronounce a colleague's name. What’s not fine? Not asking them what the correct pronunciation is. Names that are associated with non-white cultures are the most commonly mispronounced, leading effected workers to feel alienated and isolated. [HBR]
Bias from the start. New research shows that women entrepreneurs face significant disadvantages when pitching venture capitalists for funding. Female founders are more likely than their male peers to be asked questions about the potential downsides of their business. VCs are also the first to say that the pitch rarely determines the success of the startup, so the emphasis on the process may need to be re-evaluated entirely. [HBR]
Who’s Pushing Us Forward
Last week, ClassPass Founder Payal Kadakia Pujji joined the growing ranks of female founders whose companies have reached unicorn status with a $1 billion valuation.
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5yThanks for this, Mrs caroline, I find your updates very useful. ..very insightful. ..
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5yThis cuts both ways. I brought up my concerns about how cold it was in my office, and others complained about it, too. So much so that my office was dubbed “the ice box.” The response I got was not to check the vents, thermostat or anything else. I was told to “eat a cheeseburger.”