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No Texas Law On Workplace Discrimination Against Overweight

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Yahoo News reports that overweight women could be suffering from discrimination in the workplace and they may not even know it. Research shows that obese women earn about 6 percent less than thinner women for doing exactly the same work. The employment discrimination against obese women is also three times greater than that of obese men.

While it might not be fair to pay somebody lower wages because of their weight class, the practice is not exactly illegal in the state of Texas. In fact, weight discrimination in employment is not illegal in most U.S. states. According to Yahoo, Michigan is the only state with an anti-weight discrimination statute and there is no federal law to protect workers that are obese or overweight.

The issue of weight came up in a lawsuit against the Hooters restaurant chain earlier this year, when 23-year-old Leanne Convery of Michigan claimed that she was fired for not being able to lose weight. The waitress claimed that the uniform at Hooters did not fit her properly and that she was told that she could not keep her job if she didn't lose weight within 30 days. The woman is now seeking $25,000 in the suit.

While the state of Texas does not have laws prohibiting discrimination based on weight, employment lawyers still represent clients that have been discriminated against by their in employer in other ways. Perhaps the Hooters case draws attention for Houston employment lawyers to push for new legislation that would outlaw weight discrimination in the workplace.

For more information on weight discrimination, please visit our Related Resources links.

Related Resources:

  • Hooters Sued for Weight Discrimination (FindLaw's Injured Blog)
  • Look for a Houston Employment Lawyer (FindLaw)
  • Discrimination & Harassment (FindLaw)

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