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: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 16 2014, @01:52PM
Breakfast: 2 slices of toast, coffee, and OJ: 270 calories
Lunch: out - something between rice bowl and Big Mac. Let's go with the Big Mac Meal deal: 1130
Dinner, or more likely 4:30 "Tea": quart of whole milk + yogurt: 700 calories
snacks: maybe a couple of bananas, berries, or a beer: 150 calories
drinks: water and unsweetened tea: 0
Your body expects to wake up, eat, and be active. Every species does this, regardless of whether they wake at dawn or dark. Shift your calorie consumption earlier in the day, get your blood glucose synchronized with your activity, and your body will feel less pressure to store those calories against future activity.
There's only 400 calories in a quarter pound of most cheeses.