Are Overweight Women Disadvantaged in the Workplace?

Creatas/Thinkstock(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — Overweight women may have a compelling case about being mistreated and discriminated against in the workplace based on a disturbing study out of Vanderbilt Law School.

Study author Jennifer Shinall, assistant professor of law, says that women employees who are viewed as overweight are not as likely to wind up in jobs involving personal interaction with customers.

Another one of Shinall’s findings is that the heavier the woman, especially those who are morbidly obese, the greater the likelihood that they’ll be relegated to jobs that are the most physically demanding.  These types of employment include nursing and childcare.

Furthermore, overweight and obese women will generally earn less than all men or women who care considered normal weight.

In terms of what legal recourse these alleged victims can take, Shinall says rather than the Americans with Disabilities Act, a potential lawsuit could fall under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.

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