Job posting- "Must not be overweight"

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I was looking at a job posting looking that was looking for a PDN for a quad. The person posting the ad said " Must not be overweight".

Um... define overweight? :uhoh3:

Well that disqualifies me and a bunch of other nurses, geesh.

Specializes in medical surgical.

The hospital north of me is no longer hiring smokers. They state they can swab you anytime. You should see how many people are on chantix. I actually can see weight as a hiring condition. I do not think anyone would ever come out and state it directly but it might be implied. You know they do not want anyone with the potential of diabetes or htn. Keep those insurance rates low. I know I need to loose weight but have been unsuccessful thus far!

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Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU.

The thought of weight being the decision maker as to whether or not I'm employed is truly revolting to me. As The Commuter said, most Americans are overweight now, so companies would only be hanging themselves.

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OMG, I wonder what else he wants besides private duty nursing, maybe private modeling??? Running right over to apply for that one....yuck....what a turn off, yeah, I always hang out with my patients after hours....:eek:

(well, I do love dogs)

Maybe a pimp is expanding his workforce.... :eek:

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Yes. Craigslist, really. I found a job there. Legitimate employers use it to avoid advertising costs.

So they're cheap, too.....there goes the bonus for the lap dance :D

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While I admit this is a ridiculous job posting, most likely a joke, I don't think discriminating against someone for their physical condition is illegal outside of an actual recognized disability.

I know a facility could get into serious trouble for using ethnicity, age, recognized disability or gender as hiring criteria, but I don't think there are any actual laws regarding physical conditioning or obesity as a hiring factor. Thus we may not like it but there is little we can actually do about it other than not work there.

I still fear this may become a real requirement in the near future with the focus employers are starting to put on their group insurance rates. I think it likely that it is already a hidden factor in many interviewer's minds but there is currently no real defense against it. Much like smoking, obesity will likely soon be an acknowledged factor rather than just an unspoken one in hiring decisions.

Please don't flame me for stating the obvious unless you read the entire post. I am not agreeing with it, just pointing out that it is likely to be a future issue we should be ready for.

Not a flame :)

I get the whole insurance thing- it s*cks, but I understand it.... I was overweight when I was working (still am). But I could move a brick wall. Do the employers want a bunch of twigs, snapping in half when they have to exert a lot of force to move someone (not even talking about lifting... moving beds w/patients, turning, etc). That can't be good for insurance rates either....imo

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.
Weight is not protected by antidiscrimination laws.

Not specifically, but it is potentially discriminatory as certain ethic or racial groups are more prone to obesity; and certain medical conditions could cause a weight increase. It could become an age related issue since weight does tend to increase as we age so this would eliminate many over 40 (who are a protected group). Related to gender, an extra 10% of fat on a woman would be more likely to be considered as overweight than a man packing that 10%. To some young guys, any woman over 135 is "fat."

It's a vaguely defined standard, it implies the potential for abuse. A specific health related standard, such as BMI

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Not on the same level of ridiculous as the posting, but I have seen job listings for flight nurses that list a healthy BMI as a requirement.

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Not on the same level of ridiculous as the posting, but I have seen job listings for flight nurses that list a healthy BMI as a requirement.

That's been a requirement for decades- space, safety, etc. Those plane aisles are hard enough for normal weight folks to just mosey down :)

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Specializes in LTC, rehab, medical review.

i would be disqualified, too :p

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:igtsyt:

I guess I'll be the bad guy here. Why is it offensive to ask an employee to maintain a healthy weight? You can ask an employee not smoke. So what's the difference? It's a health issue. Obesity is a big issue now. And, if losing weight meant that I would be a better candidate for the job, I would shed pounds ASAP.

Okay, fire away...

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.
Not on the same level of ridiculous as the posting, but I have seen job listings for flight nurses that list a healthy BMI as a requirement.

Not just a healthy BMI. They have specific weight limits (some have height limits as well). These weights are used to calculate fuel requirement and determine if it's safe to fly. I have switched partners before when it was hot outside and the pilot determined he needed to reduce crew weight (I was switched for the good reason:D). They aren't kidding about this. We actually got weighed and if you were over you didn't fly. Most places limit it at around 250# but that's in full flight gear with helmet and our equipment weighed a lot! It was tough for some of the bigger guys. Not to mention the small cabin space. You have to be able to maneuver around.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
I strongly suspect this requirement is due to the patient's desires and has very little to do with the job requirements.

I think the "patient" is looking for a girlfriend, not a nurse. :down:

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