Overweight workers earn less than their thinner colleagues

Overweight employees earn less than their thinner colleagues, reveals a new LinkedIn survey. The results suggest that social biases about a person's weight can result in pay gaps.

According to LinkedIn, UK workers classified as obese based on their body mass index earned on average $ 2,500 less per year than their colleagues with a healthy BMI (weight-to-height ratio).

The researchers said that there was also a pay gap between men and women of the same weight. Overweight and obese women would have earned $ 11,500 less than overweight or obese men.

Workers also linked their perceived weight with their career progression. The study revealed:

• One in four who is overweight has the feeling of having missed job opportunities and promotions because of his weight.
• One in three obese workers felt the same way.
• 43% of obese workers reported that their slimmer colleagues had progressed faster in their careers.
• Overall, 28% of workers reported receiving offensive comments about their weight from a colleague or manager.

"The LinkedIn community has a number of groups and discussions on this topic," said Ngaire Moyes, a spokesperson for LinkedIn. Moyes expressed dismay at the fact that this form of discrimination continues to exist in the workplace.

"We hope more members will be encouraged to take part in the discussion about how it affects them and how we can tackle sizeable biases," Moyes said.