Citizens Medical Center Bans Obese Workers
A hospital in Texas has implemented a new policy that states no person would be considered for employment if they are obese as a way to produce a healthy image of the hospital.
The hospital, Citizens Medical Center in Victoria, Texas, decided to put the law into effect last year but a new report from the Texas Tribune has stirred the pot of debate as to whether this policy goes too far and crossed the line of discrimination.
The new policy states that workers at the hospital cannot have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 35. This would mean that a woman who is 5'5″ cannot weight more than 210 pounds.
According to hospital administrators they want employee physiques to "fit with a representational image or specific mental projection of the job of a healthcare professional."
The policy is not breaking any discrimination laws given that Michigan is the only state that has discrimination laws covering obese people.
"On the one hand, it makes sense that your health care provider is, well, healthy," Suzanne Lucas of CBS, said.
The hospital also has employment restriction on underweight individuals as well which makes a discrimination lawsuit difficult because the hospital is not solely focusing on obese people.
The hospital did not respond to questions regarding what would happen if one of their doctors became obese rather than an administrator given that particular situation has not occurred yet.
The hospital did explain that its new policy did not show that there was an increased cost for obese employees nor did the policy claim that obese workers could not perform their job at a satisfactory level.
Hospital officials state that the sole reason for the policy is due to appearance and the image of the hospital explain that many patients feel uncomfortable when obese workers provide them with care.
