Jobs for Big and Tall People
Stigmas are attached to large people in this society.
Prejudices of laziness, ineffectiveness, lack of willpower,
clumsiness and lack of self control are all attributed to
us. The fact of the matter is that larger people are just as
capable and hard working as their "normal sized"
counterparts.
We feel that providing persons of size the opportunity in
the business world is important. We know that independence,
self sufficiency and economic security can only be obtained
for persons of size by gainful employment. In that vain, we
support organizations that hire, retain, develop and promote
persons of size.
Employment Law for the Big and Tall
Surprisingly, employment rights for persons of size are few
and far between. But there is some relief. The state of
Michigan is the only state that specifically provides for
the prohibition of discrimination in employment based on
height or weight. Massachusetts and Nevada are currently
looking at enacting similar laws.
Some municipalities have taken the ball and are running with
it concerning size discrimination (aka sizism). The cities
of Santa Cruz, California, San Francisco, California and
Washington, D. C. all have enacted ordinances preventing
employment discrimination against the big and tall.
The only federal statutes that can be applied to size
discrimination are Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, which can be used if weight standards are used to
discriminate against a protected class (usually gender). The
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination against
an otherwise qualified individual with handicaps, solely on
the basis of that handicap, in any program which receives
federal assistance. And the Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1990 (ADA) extends the protection against discrimination
on the basis of disability to the private sector. Being
overweight or tall alone is not enough for you to be
considered handicapped. It must be something that affects
quality of life. Tall people with Marfan's Syndrome or a
morbidly obese person would be considered disabled under
these laws.
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