Casey Taylor, a former Marine, had his job offer from BNSF Railway rescinded because his body mass index was 41.3, “severely obese.” (Photo: Shutterstock)
There are multiple federal and state regulations that carve out protections against discrimination for a variety of reasons–age, race, gender, etc.–but what about weight? If a person is obese but otherwise capable of doing the job, can an employer to refuse to hire them?
No, at least in Washington, where the state's Supreme Court has ruled hat obesity is covered by the Washington Law Against Discrimination, which offers protection for those with disabilities.
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Marlene Satter
Marlene Y. Satter has worked in and written about the financial industry for decades.
