A comparative labour law perspective on categories of appearance-based prejudice in employment
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Date
2014-11
Authors
Viviers, Damian John
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Appearance discrimination entails discrimination against persons because of an
aspect of their appearance, such as their physical attractiveness, height, weight,
manner of dress and grooming styles. It also extends to individuals who elect to alter
their appearance by undergoing gender reassignment.
Appearance-based discrimination is a prevalent concern in workplaces across the
globe, with jurisdictions such as the United States of America, Australia, the United
Kingdom, Europe, Malaysia, Japan, China and South Africa showing signs of this
problem. Employers‘ subconscious appearance preferences seem to filter into their
employment decisions, policies and practices, causing employees who do not meet
certain appearance standards to suffer discrimination in employment. Employees
may also be subjected to bullying, harassment and hostile work environments
because of their appearance characteristics.
Research indicates that individuals who are physically more attractive as well as
taller enjoy preference in the employment realm, while less attractive and shorter
individuals are discriminated against and often suffer employment detriment, even
when these characteristics are unrelated to the inherent requirements of the job.
Employers‘ discretion to impose dress codes and grooming standards (when such
criteria are unrelated to the inherent nature of the employment position) in effect curb
employees‘ right to freedom of expression via their appearance, as well as their
individuality and personal autonomy.
Particular considerations in the context of appearance-based discrimination include
weight-based discrimination, discrimination against so-called ―trans-employees‖, as
well as appearance-related bullying and harassment of employees.
Individuals whose body weight deviates from the norm experience significant
discrimination in the workplace. Overweight and obese individuals suffer particularly
severe employment detriment, as they are assumed to be in ill health, to be lazy and
lacking work ethic. Employees who choose to alter their appearance through the
process of gender reassignment are equally severely discriminated against in the employment setting. As is the position with the other categories of appearance
discrimination, these individuals have little legal recourse that explicitly addresses
the nature of the unfair discrimination to which they are subjected. Bullying and
harassment of employees because of an aspect of their appearance is another
significant concern in employment, with the same limited legal protection currently
available to victims. As bullying is not governed or prohibited by law, and the
appearance categories fall outside the ambit of the listed grounds of prohibited
discrimination, such conduct does not officially amount to harassment either.
The global attitude towards appearance discrimination is however beginning to
change, and the International Labour Organisation has recognised this problem.
Various states in the United States of America and in Australia have started enacting
legislation to govern this issue and outlaw appearance discrimination in the
employment arena. The judiciaries of these jurisdictions, as well as those in the
European Union and South Africa, are also hearing more and more cases in this
regard. South Africa still lags behind the rest of the world in dealing with this
concern, even though many employees in the country do suffer unfair discrimination,
bullying and harassment on the basis of their appearance.
Discriminating against employees based on their appearance, without such
discrimination being legally justifiable, amounts to unfair discrimination, and violates
victims‘ rights to equality and dignity. It also acts as a barrier to equity in the
workplace. Harassment and bullying of individuals because of an aspect of their
appearance is equally unacceptable, amounting to a dignity violation.
Afrikaans: Voorkomsdiskriminasie behels diskriminasie teen persone as gevolg van ‘n aspek
van hul voorkoms, onder meer fisiese aantreklikheid, lengte, gewig, klerestyl of
persoonlike versorging. Dit geld ook vir individue wat kies om hul voorkoms deur
geslagswysiging te verander.
Voorkomsdiskriminasie is ‘n algemene probleem in werkplekke oor die hele wêreld,
met jurisdiksies soos die Verenigde State van Amerika, Australië, die Verenigde
Koninkryk, Europa, Maleisië, Japan, China en Suid-Afrika wat tekens daarvan toon.
Werkgewers se voorkomsvoorkeure sypel deur na hul indiensnemingsbesluite,
beleide en praktyke, en stel werknemers wat nie aan sekere voorkomsstandaarde
voldoen nie, aan diskriminasie bloot. Werknemers word ook dikwels blootgestel aan
bullebakkery en teistering op grond van hul voorkoms.
Navorsing dui daarop dat individue wat fisies aantrekliker en langer is, voorkeur in
die werkplek geniet, terwyl minder aantreklike en korter individue diskriminasie en
benadeling in die werksomgewing ervaar, selfs wanneer hierdie eienskappe nie met
die kernvereistes van hul werk verband hou nie.
Werkgewers se diskresie om dragkodes en versorgingstandaarde neer te lê (waar
sulke kriteria nie met die kernvereistes van die werk verband hou nie), beperk
inderwaarheid werknemers se reg op vryheid van uitdrukking via hul voorkoms, en lê
hul individualiteit en persoonlike outonomie aan bande.
Bepaalde oorwegings in verband met voorkomsgegronde diskriminasie sluit in
gewigsdiskriminasie, diskriminasie teen sogenaamde ―transwerknemers‖, sowel as
voorkomsverwante bullebakkery en teistering van werknemers.
Individue wie se liggaamsgewig van die norm afwyk, ervaar beduidende
diskriminasie in die werkplek. Oorgewig en vetsugtige individue ondervind veral erge
benadeling in die werkplek omdat daar aangeneem word dat hulle siek is, lui is en
oor swak werksetiek beskik. Werknemers wat kies om hul voorkoms deur die proses
van geslagswysiging te verander, ervaar ewe erge diskriminasie in die werksomgewing. Soos met die ander kategorieë van voorkomsdiskriminasie, het
hierdie individue weinig remedies tot hul beskikking wat die onbillike diskriminasie
spesifiek hanteer. Afknouery en teistering van werknemers as gevolg van ‘n aspek
van hul voorkoms is nóg ‘n beduidende bron van kommer in die werksomgewing,
met ewe min wetlike beskerming tot slagoffers se beskikking. Aangesien
bullebakkery en teistering nie volgens wet gereguleer of verbied word nie, en die
voorkomskategorieë buite die bestek van die gelyste gronde van verbode
diskriminasie val, is sulke optrede ook nie (wetlik beskou) teistering nie.
Die wêreldwye houding teenoor voorkomsdiskriminasie is egter besig om te
verander, en die Internasionale Arbeidsorganisasie het reeds die probleem erken.
Verskeie state in die Verenigde State van Amerika en in Australië het begin om
wetgewing uit te vaardig om hierdie probleem in die werksomgewing te reguleer en
te verbied. Die howe van dié jurisdiksies, sowel as dié in die Europese Unie en Suid-
Afrika, hoor ook al hoe meer geskille op hierdie gebied aan. Suid-Afrika is egter
steeds agter die res van die wêreld in die hantering van hierdie kwessie, al gaan
heelwat werknemers in die land gebuk onder onbillike diskriminasie, teistering en
bullebakkery op grond van hul voorkoms.
Diskriminasie teen werknemers op grond van hul voorkoms, sonder dat dit wetlik
geregverdig kan word, kom neer op onbillike diskriminasie, en skend die slagoffers
se reg op gelykheid en waardigheid. Sulke diskriminasie dien ook as ‘n hindernis vir
gelykheid in die werkplek. Teistering en afknouery van individue as gevolg van ‘n
aspek van hul voorkoms is ewe onaanvaarbaar, en kom op ‘n skending van
menswaardigheid neer.
Description
Keywords
Appearance discrimination, Weight discrimination, Height discrimination, Dress, Grooming, Transgender appearance, Transsexual appearance, Workplace harassment, Workplace bullying, Lookism, Heightism, Weightism, Unfair discrimination, Dignity, Equality, Disability, Labour relations, Prejudices, Discrimination in employment -- Law and legislation, Physical-appearance-based-bias, Dissertation (LL.M. (Mercantile Law))--University of the Free State, 2014