For Women, It Pays to Be Very Thin
7th October 2010
We have posted before on how obese women have a far harder time climbing the career ladder than their slimmer female counterparts, while men actually improve their chances of reaching the corner office when they gain weight.
Now, a new study goes a step further by showing that employers seem to treat women exactly the way the fashion industry does – by rewarding very thin women with higher pay, while penalizing average-weight women with smaller paychecks. Very thin men, on the other hand, tend to get paid less than male workers of average weight. Men earn more as they pack on the pounds – all the way to the point where they become obese, when the pay trend reverses.
Think of it as evolution in action.
October 7th, 2010 at 11:47
Fat women had a hard time climbing the ladder? Interesting choice of imagery.
Fat men got that way by working 24/7 at the office.
Had a boss tell a group of us (managers) that we had to make a strong push over the next 6 months and they would be looking to promote those showing dedication. When pressed to define “dedication”, he stated that working long enough hours that resulted in a divorce would be a good example.
That damn ladder isn’t always the best place to be.