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<p>A little over 20 years ago, I had a potential employer tell me I was perfect for the job, but because I was a young newlywed, he just couldn’t hire me and take the chance I would get pregnant and cause disruption in the work place.</p>
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<p>Yes, which is part of the reason why I have mixed feelings about these new hiring trends.</p>
<p>Re obesity and hiring/workplace issues:</p>
<p>A few years ago, Toby Cosgrove, the CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, sparked an uproar when he said that he wanted to stop hiring obese people. He later apologized for the way in which he voiced his opinion but did not backtrack on the logic behind his statement.</p>
<p>Recently, the State of Alabama began charging their oveweight employees for health insurance (insurance is still free for low-risk employees) if those overweight employees do not make significant efforts to lose weight and control other health risks. A similar policy for smokers has been in effect for years.</p>
<p>Don’t kid yourself. Hiring managers consider weight and smoking status all the time, even if they won’t admit it.</p>
<p>I strongly agree with Mowc again, her post 123.
Smoking is a stinking, filthy habit, I think we’d all agree. I never hear people say they smoke because it makes their clothes smell so sweet.
But it is more than a bad habit. It is a very real cost that employers with smokers must bear, as studies show that smokers cost them more in a number of ways.</p>
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<p>I think the hiring managers in health care must have missed the memo on obesity. Look around you at any hospital and you are going to see a lot of overweight and obese staff. A LOT.</p>
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<p>Because we have come to expect most medical costs to be borne by third parties (whether private or government), it is not surprising that these third parties have become interested in trying to get you to minimize unhealthy or dangerous habits that could cost them money to pay for your resulting medical costs.</p>
<p>If people self-paid their own medical costs, employers, insurance companies, and the government would not care as much about such things. Unfortunately, medical costs are expensive enough that most people will want insurance against at least catastrophic level medical costs (although it does seem absurd from an economic point of view for most medical insurance to start at the first dollar).</p>
<p>Of course the staff at hospitals are overweight and obese - Americans themselves are overweight and obese. That doesn’t mean that hiring mangers wouldn’t jump at the chance to hire healthy-weight individuals (other factors being equal).</p>
<p>I work for a group that studies the relationships between employee health and employer costs. As part of my job I talk to a lot of employers and I hear a lot about their future plans for employee benefits. Several of them are instituting policies at their workplaces where overweight employees must either lose weight or pay more health insurance (it’s already common practice for smokers.)</p>
<p>It used to be that overweight poeple could just participate in Weight Wacthers (say) and get the insurance waiver, but things seem to be changing - employers are looking for results, not simple participation. Companies like Safeway have been doing this for years.</p>
<p>I don’t know about your insurance, but my (supposedly very good) insurance is moving farther and farther away from starting at the first dollar. I have a pretty good little deductible before I start getting anything for free plus co-pays.</p>
<p>I do think think people should be incentivized not to overuse health care services, by having to pay something. I also think insurance should not pay for cosmetic or optional procedures. However, I still think in an ideal world we should all pay the same rate, regardless of our physical status, gender, age, disability, or health behaviors.</p>
<p>I apologize for carrying this thread even farther away from the OP’s topic. I will stop here.</p>
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<p>I don’t know about that. It seems like health care facilities have a higher percentage of overweight/obese employees than are found in the general population. But that could be a misperception as I have no data to back that up.</p>
<p>Her kid’s CC user ID should be ChildofWildMom.</p>
<p>^^ Well, he wouldn’t come near CC, but that’s actually been said before. :)</p>
<p>I guess I just find it difficult to understand why someone would choose to open themselves up forever to bias not considered discrimination by law, or how they can be so sure it’ll never be an issue for them in the future. The party line to that seems to be - if someone thinks this way then I would never want to work for or be involved with that person. I don’t necessarily buy that.</p>
<p>There may be all kind of reasons people get visible piercings and tattoos. For some they are a means of expression or personally meaningful in some way. But by the same token there are all kind of reasons that people can have negative and even visceral associations (see post 40 for one). It doesn’t necessarily mean they are intolerant in any other way. My point is, one might otherwise be open, liberal, make a fantastic boss, or an even better significant other or spouse. So why make the deliberate and permanent choice to close those doors? </p>
<p>On the other hand, one thing I don’t think people consider enough with respect to visible tattoos or face piercings is what I call the Trader Joe’s/ Apple store syndrome. Their pierced or tattooed employees seem ( or have to be) incredibly outgoing. Defiance of stereotype or overcompensation? In an office setting - are you going to be allowed the same number of “off” days as someone who is otherwise your performance equal? Will otherwise insignificant negatives be magnified in comparison, perhaps even unconsciously? You’ll never know.</p>
<p>I forget who wrote it, but I once read the observation that if you see somebody walking down the street with a bunch of tattoos or piercings, you can bet there isn’t anything at all interesting about them…such extreme attempts to make themselves different reflect a vacuous personality and character.</p>
<p>^^^^^Uh oh.</p>
<p>Found it: “When I see a kid with green hair and three or four rings in his nose, I know there is absolutely nothing extraordinary about that person.” ~P J O’Rourke</p>
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<p>I find this shamefully sad. I pose this question to the people here. How many people who you disdain based on their appearance have you actually gotten to know? Have your findings really backed up your assumptions?</p>
<p>I ask this not even as much on my behalf, but on that of a good friend of mine. My best friend is an amazing person, who happens to have a nose ring, a rook piercing, often brightly colored hair, a discrete tattoo, and an alternative style. She is a survivor of tremendous obstacles, a devout and loving Christian, an incredibly kind person, absolutely fascinating conversation, a very bright and hardworking biology major, lover of animals, aspiring veterinarian, and well-regarded by her professors. I am shocked by the gall of people to completely dismiss the merit of an individual based upon her choices regarding her appearance. Anybody who does so about my friend (and I’ll throw myself in there too) is completely wrong.</p>
<p>Schmaltz is just being a …well, who knows what HE looks like.</p>
<p>I do agree that your appearance says something about you and does convey a message. I, personally, don’t get the stretched earlobe thing, and will admit that it would not make a positive impression on me.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that when we hire, we are trying to figure out if someone is capable, intelligent, has the skills and will fit into the culture. We use all the information we have about this person to assess these things. Someone with a mohawk and multiple piercings would probably have a little trouble fitting into the culture at some of the manufacturing companies for which I have worked. It could be done, but there would be a risk. With multiple applicants, who needs that risk? On the other hand, if someone is admittedly a smoker or comes in clearly smelling like smoke, I make a decision about that person’s intelligence and regard for their health. It’s a deal-breaker.</p>
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<p>I ask this not even as much on my behalf, but on that of a good friend of mine. My best friend is an amazing person, who happens to have a nose ring, a rook piercing, often brightly colored hair, a discrete tattoo, and an alternative style. She is a survivor of tremendous obstacles, a devout and loving Christian, an incredibly kind person, absolutely fascinating conversation, a very bright and hardworking biology major, lover of animals, aspiring veterinarian, and well-regarded by her professors. I am shocked by the gall of people to completely dismiss the merit of an individual based upon her choices regarding her appearance.<<</p>
<p>The problem is life in general, and employment interviews in particular, are way too short to allow us the luxury of digging deep and discovering the “real” person beneath the outside appearance and behavior of everyone we meet.</p>
<p>I’m sure everything you say about your friend is perfectly true. But like it or not, everyone constantly conveys a message with their appearance. If the message they are broadcasting is not consistent with who they really are, they can’t blame others for being confused or coming to wrong conclusions about them. Or stated more briefly, if you look like a carnival freak, people are going to conclude you are probably a carnival freak.</p>
<p>To me it’s all about priorities. We all have limited time, and most of us have limited money. If people choose to spend each on things that seem silly and wasteful, then it is tough to trust their judgement. </p>
<p>I rarely trust men who obviously spend more than about a minute per week fussing with their hair. I could tell hair divas like Sen. Edwards and Pres. Clinton were narcissistic slimeballs even before they proved to the world that they were.</p>
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<p>I can’t think of anyone whose opinion I care less about - an insufferable, smug a…hole who is neither well informed nor particularly bright.</p>
<p>I rarely trust men who obviously spend more than about a minute per week fussing with their hair.</p>
<p>So the men you trust either look like crap or they are bald?</p>