Weight discrimination: ‘My boss was a stickler for appearance — I know she had an issue with my size’

Weight discrimination is gradually becoming more widely understood, but there is still little recourse for those who experience it at work

'As I got older, I became quieter and didn’t mix with anyone.' Photo: Getty/picture posed

Arlene Harris

In May 2023, the city council of New York approved a bill banning weight and height discrimination to ensure that alongside race, sexual orientation, gender identify and national origin, a person’s physique was also not open for judgement. And, under the new measure, employers and organisations are now prohibited from discriminating in employment, housing or access to public facilities based on someone’s physique.