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Employers in Europe may soon have a duty to create reserved car parking spaces for obese staff, or adjust the office furniture for them as BBC reports that the European Court of Justice is considering a test case of a male nanny who says he was fired for being too fat - a ruling that could oblige employers to treat obesity as a disability. Employment expert Audrey Williams says the judges would have to decide "whether obesity itself should trigger preferential rights, or should only impact where an individual, due to obesity, has other recognized medical issues. Employers would have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace or working arrangements," says Williams. "This might include a review of where the employee is located and their seating arrangements, or even preferential access to car parking."
The US Equal Opportunity Commission already defines obesity as being a disability, under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act. In a recent case involving morbid obesity, a Texan employee who weighed more than 680 pounds received $55,000 in compensation for being dismissed. In October 2009, the man was told to report to human resources where officials told him the company had reached the conclusion he could no longer "perform his job duties because of his weight and he was therefore terminated," the suit said. Ronald Kratz, who had gotten two promotions and high performance ratings over his 16-year-career, insists his weight did not interfere with his ability to perform his job duties as a parts sorter. Kratz, who lost over three hundred pounds since he was fired, has not been able to find another job despite sending out numerous applications, and his unemployment benefits have run out. "It has been really hard on the family."
(Score: 1) by q.kontinuum on Monday June 16 2014, @08:26AM
I don't. It's just too easy to use it as an excuse. I started doing sport early, without my parents telling me to do so. My parents smoked, I despised that. My parents ate diet-butter and drank diet-soda, I rejected. (I'd rather drink water than this disgusting diet stuff, and if I want a softdrink, I want the real deal.)
I do agree that parents usually do have a strong influence and can do a lot of damage (mine were supportive and never tried to force their habbits on me, partially because I didn't use to be fat skinny, partially because they accepted my individuality), and the first years can make it already very difficult to start caring for your own body. But if something bothers you, usually the only things you can change about it are your own behavior and attitude, and emphasizing the part others play in your problem doe not help you to resolve doing your part to change it. I'm all for supporting those who want to tackle their obesity, and I'm also all for helping those who already do their best, but are physiologically not able to lose weight without torturing themselves. But in that case this physical condition preventing them to lose weight is the disability, the weight is only a symptom.
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