[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/12\/21\/weight-bias-at-work\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/12\/21\/weight-bias-at-work\/","headline":"Tipping the scales: Tackling weight bias at work","name":"Tipping the scales: Tackling weight bias at work","description":"Weight bias is a pervasive problem in the workplace. Here, we delve into the issue and look at ways employers and individuals can address it.","datePublished":"2022-12-21","dateModified":"2022-12-20","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/leslie-taege\/#Person","name":"Leslie Taege","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/leslie-taege\/","identifier":670,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d2102275441383e7229184d149a3c80482e2553108341c960b87eb0df252612d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d2102275441383e7229184d149a3c80482e2553108341c960b87eb0df252612d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Weight-Discrimination_FTR-optimized.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Weight-Discrimination_FTR-optimized.jpg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/12\/21\/weight-bias-at-work\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5V0DKFucRUY#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5V0DKFucRUY","name":"Respect for Any Body Size | Women at Work | Podcast","description":"Have you ever hesitated to take on a particular role or get up in front of other people because you felt self-conscious about your weight? Or worried that others would see you as unprofessional or \u201cnot equipped\u201d for leadership positions? Perhaps you\u2019ve made offhand comments about a colleague\u2019s eating habits?\n\nChapters:\n00:00 \u2013 Intro\n06:25  \u2013 Seeing Weight Bias as a Problem\n13:36 \u2013 Anti-Fat Bias Runs Deep\n17:07 \u2013 Self-Acceptance in a Larger Body\n26:04 \u2013 How to (Not) Talk About Food & Weight at Work\n35:53 \u2013 Advice for Managers: Addressing Weight Bias at Work\n41:32 - Outro\n\nWeight bias is everywhere, including at work, and yet it\u2019s rarely discussed openly or made part of efforts to create equitable and inclusive workplaces. It should be, especially given what we know about the economic and emotional costs to women who are on the receiving end of this stigma.\n\nTwo women who have studied weight bias at work\u2014and the misconceptions that underpin it\u2014help us understand our role in creating a positive body culture.\n\nGuests:  \nDr. Habibah Williams is a nurse practitioner at the University of Virginia.\n\nGrace Lemmon is a management professor at DePaul University.\n\nResources:\n\u2022 \u201cA primer with purpose: Research implications of the objectification of weight in the workplace,\u201d by Grace Lemmon et al.: https:\/\/bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1111\/joop.12378 \n\n\u2022 \u201cSizably Aware: Teaching Healthcare Staff to Lose Their Weight Bias,\u201d a write-up of Dr. Habibah Williams\u2019 work, by Christine Phelan Kueter: https:\/\/www.nursing.virginia.edu\/news\/habibah-williams-dnp\/ \n\n\u2022 \u201cUnconscious Bias Training That Works,\u201d by Francesca Gino and Katherine Coffman: https:\/\/hbr.org\/2021\/09\/unconscious-bias-training-that-works \n\n\u2022 \u201cHow One Company Worked to Root Out Bias from Performance Reviews,\u201d by Joan C. Williams et al.: https:\/\/hbr.org\/2021\/04\/how-one-company-worked-to-root-out-bias-from-performance-reviews \n\nSign up for the Women at Work: https:\/\/hbr.org\/email-newsletters?movetile=womenatwork \n\nEmail us: womenatwork@hbr.org\n\nListen to all Women at Work episodes here: [YouTube playlist link]\n\nYou can also listen to this episode on HBR.org, and wherever you listen to podcasts: \n- HBR.org (transcript available here): https:\/\/hbr.org\/podcast\/2022\/10\/respect-for-any-body-size  \n- Apple Podcasts: https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/respect-for-any-body-size\/id1336174427?i=1000584578588 \n- Spotify: https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/4iumfeeyMNYZtZ21sLqCL7?si=7f59a0d916184062 \n- Stitcher: https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/show\/women-at-work\/episode\/respect-for-any-body-size-208115895 \n- Google Podcasts: https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLmhhcnZhcmRidXNpbmVzcy5vcmcvaGFydmFyZGJ1c2luZXNzL3dvbWVuLWF0LXdvcms\/episode\/dGFnOmF1ZGlvLmhici5vcmcsMjAxOC0wMS0xNzp3b21lbi1hdC13b3JrLnM4LjAwMDAz?sa=X&ved=0CAgQuIEEahcKEwi40IHtw437AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQLA \n\nSeries Description: \nWomen face gender discrimination throughout our careers. It doesn't have to derail our ambitions \u2014 but how do we prepare to deal with it? There's no workplace orientation session about narrowing the wage gap, standing up to interrupting male colleagues, or taking on many other issues we encounter at work. So HBR staffers Amy Bernstein, Amy Gallo, and Emily Caulfield are untangling some of the knottiest problems. They interview experts on gender, tell stories about their own experiences, and give lots of practical advice to help you succeed in spite of the obstacles.\n\nAbout Harvard Business Review: \nHarvard Business Review is the leading destination for smart management thinking. Through its flagship magazine, books, and digital content and tools published on HBR.org, Harvard Business Review aims to provide professionals around the world with rigorous insights and best practices to help lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact. Learn more at www.hbr.org.\n\nFollow Harvard Business Review: https:\/\/hbr.org\/ https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/harv... https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HBR\/ https:\/\/twitter.com\/HarvardBiz https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/harvard_bus... \n\nSign up for Newsletters: https:\/\/hbr.org\/email-newsletters \n\n#HarvardBusinessReview #womenatwork \n\nCopyright \u00a9 2022 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved.","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/5V0DKFucRUY\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/5V0DKFucRUY\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/5V0DKFucRUY\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/5V0DKFucRUY\/sddefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2022-11-02T12:00:08+00:00","duration":"PT43M19S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5V0DKFucRUY","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCWo4IA01TXzBeGJJKWHOG9g#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCWo4IA01TXzBeGJJKWHOG9g","name":"Harvard Business Review","description":"At Harvard Business Review, we believe in management. If the world\u2019s organizations and institutions were run more effectively, if our leaders made better decisions, if people worked more productively, we believe that all of us \u2014 employees, bosses, customers, our families, and the people our businesses affect \u2014 would be better off. We try to arm our readers with ideas that help them become smarter, more creative, and more courageous in their work. \n\nWe encourage comments, critiques, and questions. We expect our community to be a safe space for respectful, constructive, and thought-provoking discussion. We reserve the right to remove or turn off comments at our discretion. We do not tolerate bullying, name-calling, or abusive language related to identity, including race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, age, or region; spam; copyright violation; extreme profanity; or pornography. We may also remove content that is overly promotional or off topic.\n","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/pLuETMM_cfn5Kdyny-y3YVxgHHsElTOm_k7nh_GGaJ9mSnlDDWIyF_oeYAE7Qabh1zy4mVzI=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5V0DKFucRUY#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5V0DKFucRUY#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5V0DKFucRUY&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5V0DKFucRUY#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":2307}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5V0DKFucRUY#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":38}]},"about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/employee-engagement\/","name":"Employee Engagement","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Employee_engagement","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q14937678"]},"Employee Experience & Engagement","HXM: Human Experience Management","Inclusion & Diversity","Real Talk: Mental Health, Well-Being, and Laughter",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/hxm-human-experience-management-solution\/human-resources\/","name":"The Future of Human Resources","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Human_resources"]}],"wordCount":1776,"keywords":["Diversity and Inclusion","Future of Human Resources","HR Trends","Human Resources","Workplace Culture"],"articleBody":"Imagine this scenario: In a conference room for the weekly team meeting, a well-intentioned colleague brings chocolate croissants. All but one employee takes a treat, and another colleague calls them out. In addition to the embarrassment of being singled out, chances are this person now feels compelled to take a pastry to avoid a prolonged exchange.Most people, especially women, have had experiences like this at work. It\u2019s awkward, unnecessary, embarrassing, and distracting. Situations just like this, and many that are far more egregious happen. Every day. At work.After listening to a recent episode of HBR\u2019s Women at Work podcast titled, Respect for Any Body Size, I began to think more deeply about this issue. What happens to these employees when their eating habits and appearance are put under a microscope? And what are employers doing to protect their employees from weight bias?      HR trends 2024: Melding humanity and hybrid work to retain top talent                HR trends 2024 are all about putting people first by improving the employee experience, humanizing management, and getting hybrid work right.      Weight bias and DEIDiversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) began as a result of anti-discrimination legislation in the 1960\u2019s. DEI has evolved into a framework promoting the participation and fair treatment of everyone in the workforce, with emphasis on people and groups who have historically been underrepresented or discriminated against because of their age, race, religion, country of origin, disability or identity.Each of these categories under the umbrella of DEI are static. What’s missing is weight.Each person has a unique blend of genetic and environmental factors that shift and change as we age. As a result, physical weight can change over time.Weight is sensitive, personal, and believed to be controllable. Many people believe that weight is a mixture of individual choices and discipline, meaning, “you can change this\u2026 if you want to.”That belief that each person develops overtime, no matter their size, is where bias lives.      Creating a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy that really works                Find out how HR leaders approach DEI to create a fair, inclusive, and diverse employee experience.      The weight of perceptionWeight bias is well documented.\u00a0“Humans have internalized this fear of being fat and all of the stereotypes that go along with it,\u201d says Grace Lemmon, a researcher from DePaul University. The stigmas most commonly associated with people in larger bodies are that they\u2019re lazy, incompetent, and weak-willed, which are all unproven.In fact, studies have found that many people considered overweight are metabolically healthy and that lifestyle habits such as exercise and vegetable consumption together reveal more about a person\u2019s mortality than body mass index.The very thin aren\u2019t exempt from weight bias either. While “thinness” is the American preference, those who are exceptionally thin experience unwanted commentary and judgment from colleagues. They\u2019re labeled as malnourished, controlling, and fragile. Their competence isn\u2019t called into question; however, their mental and emotional stability is.Let\u2019s be honest: We\u2019re extremely critical of ourselves. That\u2019s because we exist in a culture where we\u2019re in an endless state of self-improvement, and everyone has an ideal image that they\u2019re working toward. The image that’s captured in our minds becomes judgment, because of our own perceived failures or successes, that we project onto others when making comments about weight and appearance.      Purpose and the C-suite: Social sustainability is mission-critical                Social sustainability takes center stage in the C-suite, with data and dollars indicating greater success for brands that focus on the greater good.      Weight\u2019s place at work & biased comments\u00a0People regularly discuss their own physical appearance: which diet they\u2019re trying, which event they\u2019re training for, or those last five pounds they want to lose are all considered normal workplace banter. But just because it\u2019s the norm, doesn\u2019t make it acceptable.According to a National Library of Medicine paper, \u201cWeight bias can be defined as the inclination to form unreasonable judgments based on a person’s weight.\u201dCommenting on a colleague\u2019s weight loss may be intended as a compliment. The person it\u2019s directed toward may even take it as a compliment, but there are dozens of variables at play in this seemingly simple interaction.The exchange demonstrates a person\u2019s preference toward thinness. Maybe the weight loss is unintentional or even unwanted. Maybe another colleague is struggling to lose weight and feels frustrated or judged because they haven\u2019t had the same \u2018success.Comments about another person’s weight or appearance has everything to do with the person making the comment. They\u2019re projecting their own internalized feelings onto the recipient. Regardless of the reason, it frequently hurts.\u00a0      Difficult women: Exhausted by bias, a revolution rises                Tired of being written out of their own narrative, difficult women get comfortable holding the reins of power.      Weight discrimination statsDiscrimination often begins in the hiring process, making it harder for individuals in larger bodies to work in client-facing roles. They also can\u00a0struggle to get raises and promotions despite having equally impressive credentials as their slimmer colleagues.Some eye-opening statistics shared during the HBR podcast showed that women are subject to weight bias and discrimination far more frequently than men. Lemmon\u2019s research found that \u201c75% of those who self-identify as overweight experience more bullying, name calling, incivility, and microaggressions in the last 6 months.\u201dTwo-thirds of women in the United States wear a size 12 or larger.Compared to “regular sized women,” overweight women earn 4% less, obese women make 5.8% less, and morbidly obese women earn 15.7% less.People who work “behind the scenes” earn 22.3% less than those whose work involves negotiation, public speaking, or consulting.The heaviest women in client-facing roles make 34.5% less than their counterparts who are considered to have normal weight.      Ageism and gender in the workplace: The myth of the late bloomer                September 2021 reveals that nearly 70 percent of women over 40 who are still looking for new jobs have been out of work for at least six months.      The high price of weight biasEmployees who experience weight bias and discrimination deal with much more than one-off comments. These experiences can derail a career, have significant economic impacts, and deteriorate a person\u2019s mental and emotional health.Employees in larger bodies are frequently stigmatized, feeling shame, embarrassment, experience emotional insecurity, and are more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs, and have suicidal ideation. The mental toll is exhausting because discussions about weight and ultimately the bias that is its counterpart has been socially acceptable in the workplace for decades.More often than not, the stigma leads to the silence of the mistreated person, especially when companies don\u2019t have a policy in place to support them.Careers derailed The career trajectory for larger bodied people, particularly women, is much slower than their slimmer colleagues. In addition to the mental and emotional burden, these employees are less likely to seek out high-profile projects and promotions. They\u2019re also more likely to leave organizations if bias and discrimination goes unchecked.  Work doesn’t work like it once did.Win, retain, and grow talent in a changing, competitive landscape. Real-life proof points \u2192HERE.Economic impactWhen an employee\u2019s career progression stagnates, their earning potential suffers. Economically, one study from 2011 showed that a one-unit increase in a woman\u2019s BMI correlates with a 1.83% decrease in hourly wages. In 2018, another study showed that being in a lower income bracket can increase the risks of obesity. Conversely, the same study found that being obese decreases one\u2019s income, and disproportionately impacts women.Missed opportunities Lori Armstrong Halber, a partner at Fox Rothschild LLP said it best in this SHRM article: “…an employer that focuses on (any)thing other than an applicant’s or employee’s skills, abilities and experience is doing both the individual and itself a disservice. You could be missing out on an incredibly talented and engaging employee based on your bias.”      Reaching equal: Inclusion and diversity now, or innovation loss later                Diversity enhances team innovation by 20 percent, and ethnically and racially diverse organizations report 43 percent higher profits. So why hasn't equality arrived?      Fighting weight bias at workThere are things that both employers and employees can to do combat weight bias and discrimination in the workplace. The first step is recognizing bias.Everyone has biases. The goal is to become aware of them so those attitudes and behaviors don\u2019t dictate your decision-making. Tests like Harvard\u2019s Project Implicit offer Implicit Association Tests to gauge bias on a variety of topics, including weight.Having this baseline of information is a strong starting point toward healthier, more productive work relationships.Across the organizationAnna Burns, CEO of Seen@Work, a DEI consulting firm, suggests creating an environment “where commenting on other people’s bodies and complementing weight loss is discouraged. Discussions that focus on diet culture or moralizing bodies, food or exercise need to be avoided, as well.\u201dTake it a step further by inviting employees into discussions discussions when they engage in weight discrimination or body shaming, she adds. Many times, people don’t understand that what they’re saying or doing is hurtful or discriminatory.Going even further, an organization can implement a formal policy designed to preempt weight discrimination and body shaming by explicitly including size inclusivity in nondiscrimination policies.Individual accountabilityThe adage that “we are the sum of our parts” is true in the case of workplace culture and attitudes. Recognizing weight discrimination will take training and practice. Here are a few ways to respond to weight bias when it\u2019s directed at your or you witness it happened to a colleague:That seems like a personal comment. Change the subject.We\u2019re off topic. Let\u2019s start\/continue\/finish our discussion about X topic.Thank you for your comment\/sharing your perspective. Change the subject. Legal movesIn the U.S., Michigan and a few cities including San Francisco and Madison, Wis., ban discrimination based on weight. Activists in New York and Massachusetts are currently working to extend weight-based antidiscrimination protections across their states. Legal change is slow, but this opens up an opportunity for employers to take a stand.What are you going to do about it?For decades there’s been a “what are you going to do about it” attitude hurled at individuals in larger bodies.Instead, in the spirit of acceptance and progress, ask employers the very same question. Weight bias and discrimination exist in the workplace, so what are you going to do to do change it?  HR, better.Employees, happier.Businesses, healthier.It’s time to modernize the employee experience."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2022","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"12","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/\/12\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"21","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/\/12\/\/21\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Tipping the scales: Tackling weight bias at work","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2022\/12\/21\/weight-bias-at-work\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]