Our health care professionals have been haranguing us for years to lose a few pounds - so is it fair for us to expect that people working for the hospital to be, well, not fat?
Citizens Medical Center, a Texas healthcare facility, is walking the walk: they're refusing to hire fatties (people with body mass index over 35, classified as severely obese):
Officials say the measure is meant to promote healthy living, so that employees can set an example for patients. The rule is legal in Texas, and the medical center is hardly the first company to institute weight-related policies — in 2010 grocery chain Whole Foods started offering workers with low BMIs better employee discounts. Considering how hard it is for anyone to get a job these days, should hospitals be able to reject applicants based on their weight?
So - what do you think? Is it discrimination for hospitals not to hire people because of their weight? Link
I think, from a practical perspective, it's an excellent idea. I suspect it will also reduce insurance premiums for the employees as a group.