To think fat equals lazy to prospective employers

[Oldfatbrenda]

I've been to a few interviews lately and I can't help feeling at a disadvantage because I am fat. I'm a size 20/22 for context. I think we larger people are judged for it whether it's conciously or not. AIBU? I also feel this because I'm mid forties.... So a double whammy.

And how many employers put their money where their mouths are by giving proper lunch breaks instead of telling their employees to grab processed crap on the run like sausage rolls because "we are too busy for lunch" Happened to a friend of mine regularly. Driving job

Could she not pack a healthy lunch?

I'm not sure we can start blaming employers for our weight now.

HE. Bit hard to struggle with a lunch box at the steering wheel. News Flash some employers dont allow breaks at all

Definitely lots of prejudice out there unfortunately.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/evidence-based-living/202312/what-we-know-about-the-obesity-pay-gap?amp

I'm just going to be blunt (and I say this as someone who is currently sitting at a size 18 having lost a bit of weight and obviously still with more to go so I myself am currently fat).

Being fat will definately make it more difficult to get a job. I had done lots of interviewing (retired now) and yes sorry it would have been a black mark against you. Not to say you would definately not have been hired if you were amazing and the other candidates were rubbish. Given two decent candidates - one thin and one fat, yip the thin one would almost certainly get it.

Also another place I worked the boss (man in his sixties) on seeing one of the candidates getting out of her car said to me 'don't hire the fat bird'. So I had to do a fake interview knowing I wasn't allowed to give her the job anyway. She from memory was about a size 18-20 but short.

I am currently not working (retired I think) but in the event I had to go back to work I would be desperately trying to lose weight to get down to a 16 or better a 14 which lets be honest is not small sizes given how large the sizes are nowadays. I'm 5ft 8.

Your age will also be going against you because whilst forties is not that old - the combination of being a bit fat plus a bit old will just be too much for many employers. If you were mid forties and slim and looked healthy they may overlook your age but the two combined is just going to make it tricky.

If there is lots of jobs then your chances are better obviously. If the market is competitive you will struggle. My plan was to work at a care home if I had to go back to work as I am older than you and like I say fat myself and figured I would manage a job there as they seem to be desperate for staff and thus less fussy. Not sure if I could have done the cleaning of people etc though.

You have my sympathy. Sorry if any of this upsets you but if you know the problem maybe you can try and lose some weight though I know it is very tough.

If it makes you feel any better I have been in jobs where I almost didn't even get an interview because company told the recruiting agency 'no women' and it just so happens I was the token pretend candidate who was much better than all the males (also 30 and attractive though!). I expressed shock to recruitment agency that they had said no women and the agency female said 'it happens all the time'

Old fat blokes are also discriminated against but not to the same extent.
Black people or people with non british names are also discriminated against. I've had CV's pulled out of my pile of 'candidates to interview' as not being suitable based on this. Not by me, but others said 'not them'

It's ugly but it's the truth.

Obviously fat people do work so it is not impossible but I do wonder how many of them were thinner or younger when they were hired?

Sorry if I have upset you. I'm just a fat, old person myself who has lots of interview experience and seen how the world really is.

p.s. when I was at the peak of my own attractiveness (slim, very healthy and attractive to start with) I actually had a company who thought I didn't have enough experience for the role (they were right) but they definately wanted me to work for them so they created a post for me. I should say that I was highly qualified - degree, professional qualification and tons of good relevant experience just not in this particular industry. If I had been ugly, fat, old no way would they have created a post for me no matter how talented I was. Yes it was a man boss who clearly took a shine to me and created the role.

Anyone who thinks that youth and beauty does not affect opportunities is just kidding themselves. I feel I can say all this since I'm invisible these days (fat, old). It is definately tougher to find work the older you get and the fatter you are.

After I got to 35 I found agencies who up to that point had found me all my jobs stopped returning my calls. It took me a while to realise that I had been deemed 'less of' due to my age. I did get a couple of temping jobs through agencies but every permanent job I had over the age of 35 I got by applying direct to employers (but was slim and still reasonably attractive).

It's very tough to realise all this but it happens to us all.

This was in finance/accounting roles and in lots of different areas - banks, chemical companies, IT companies. All as bad as each other.

You’re responsible for your own health. Nobody is making anyone eat sausage rolls. And one sausage roll is not making anyone fat, either.

Make a packed lunch.

Literally NOBODY is claiming youth and beauty aren't pandered to by some.

However, I got a good job at 50+, fat and looking shit and having been stuck home for two years caring for someone else and dealing with my own shit.

Decent employers see past that garbage as they want the best person for the team.

Penis led fuckwits and bigoted arseholes are terrible bosses anyway.

Be confident keep trying, you'll get the right job.

I've worked in offices for decades and have worked with a lot of larger people, so no, I think you are wrong.

find an interview outfit that flatters you and makes you feel fantastic

The naivety involved here is staggering. Buying clothes is one of the hardest things to do if you're very overweight and most people will not find the experience a happy one. An awful lot of nice clothes shops stop selling at size 16. Virtually nothing makes you feel fantastic.

Are you on a mission to say cunt in every post!

Apart from being 100% illegal to not allow breaks, if he's been told to grab processed crap and eat that at the wheel, what's the difference?

Just because something is illegal it does not stop unscrupulous employers from transgressing. Delivery van drivers (amazon/dpd/hermes) are tracked via GPS and get called by head office the moment they deviate off course between drop offs (toilet break, bteak etc). They have punishingly tight schedules with incentives to meet them so drivers pissing in bottles and eating on the fly is normal.

I might worry for your health and ability to fulfill role.

I have a very overweight colleague. His health is horrendous and so he takes masses of sick leave, he also struggles to get to the office so regularly breaches office attendance policy and his junior line reports are struggling.

He doesn't have mobility aids yet gets breathless even walking around the small office floor so will try to dial into a meeting on teams instead of walking a short distance to the room its held in. Its very sad really, we all think he's a lovely bloke but he's ill SO often & it affects his team a lot.

Yes I get that.

But my point is, if he can open a sausage roll and eat that, he can open his lunchbox and eat a sandwich.

It makes no sense to argue that the driver has to eat UPF.

I'd be interested too.

You soon realise as an overweight person to never complain about aches and pains or illness and certainly not to your GP as your weight will be blamed for it and so there's no point. So you crack on and don't complain.

But yes, a lot of people despise fat people- that can easily be seen on MN - and probably wouldn't employ one.

A typical cab won't have somewhere to safely store for several hours a packed meal from home. A tramper - a driver who follows a circular route away from home for a few days - is going to have even worse problems with securing a healthy meal.

I have worked in the logistics industry for a number of years. Breaks tend to be short, facilities on site for storing/heating food from home limited to non-existent. If there is a canteen the food will be predominantly carb heavy: pie & chips style (fish and chips on Friday). If there is no canteen then there may be a van in a nearby lay-by offering bacon baps, sausage rolls, pasties etc.

These are large commercial sites where rules are followed. Drivers in the home delivery sector (including supermarket home delivery) are far less well served.

The one good thing since looking for a new role, is I've got a very much renewed motivation to lose weight. The clothes shopping was horrendous. Nothing fitted or looked smart enough. I managed to find a couple of outfits that just about pass as interview suitable but by no means make me feel fantastic. I'm happiest and most confident in my jeans and trainers but even for offices with casual dress, I have to do the interview dance and (try to) look smart. It's just expected and I'd hate to dash my chances even more by going too casual. No more interviews are lined up at the moment but I'll keep trying. Still waiting on a couple to hear how I did.
Thanks to everyone for your point of views. I had a meeting with a small business after a full interview on teams first. It was only a look around the office etc and I got the distinct impression that meeting me in the flesh was the reason I didn't get the job. The female owner almost couldn't hide her snobbery really. It's different sitting in front of a camera with head and shoulders only on screen. I dare say I also look younger on camera. It's hard when you know the only reason must be you personally. Either how you look/age or your actual personality. In this case my personality would have been seen on the virtual interview so it has to be my looks/size doesn't it?

Whatever happens I'll be coming out of this with a thicker skin than I already had. It's quite hurtful. By the way, no one here has hurt my feelings or upset me. It's just the sad truth really.

Oh don't be ridiculous.

A sandwich in a cool bag is all it takes.

How do you think schools manage to store the kids packed lunches, in centrally heated classrooms?

If they can munch a sausage roll, they can munch a sandwich.

I'd be interested too.

There's been a few links posted earlier in the thread.

Even the wholemeal, granary bread I eat is classed as UPF. Ham is UPF, cheese is processed. It's actually quite hard to get a sandwich that doesn't contain UPF. I suppose the cabby could make his own bread from home but let's be honest, most people won't do this.

@Oldfatbrenda I am a size 26 barrel shape. Clothes shopping is a nightmare. I'm not busty or curvy. In man made fibres I feel itchy and uncomfortable. Also I am prone to stress sweating.

What I did was I learned to sew, starting a few years ago. There are some amazing fabrics available online. Depending on your shape there are different pattern houses for all ability levels.

You start with something simple and then start to build skills and progress. Along the way you will learn about fitting to your shape and comfort.

I'm still a barrel but now I am a barrel draped in fabulous fabric.

If you are interested, come and visit the stitch and batch thread.

A sandwich made from home is still going to be a better option health wise than a bag of savouries from Greggs. And it’s not their employers fault, regardless.

These are just excuses

Exactly! The "I can't, I cant', it's someone else's fault" always reaches ridiculous heights on these threads.

Meanwhile, other people pop a sandwich and a bit of fruit in their cool bag and get on with their working day.

Not being ridiculous. A cool bag is fine for a few hours, no use after that. Unless of course drivers are somehow immune to food poisoning.

Are you denying my decades of experience of warehouse and factory sites? Are you telling me they all have healthy salad bars or large scale refrigerators to allow drivers & warehouse people to store home prepared healthy meals plus each cab has a refrigerator in it?

Perhaps I missed these.