Korean Job Discussion Forums

Hyeon Een · Joined: 24 Jun 2005

A morbidly obese man working in a pizza shop suffered a back injury when a freezer door hit him at work. He has bad back pain now that needs surgery to be fixed, which his employer was willing to pay. However as he is so fat he can't have the surgery. A court has ruled that his employer has to pay for $25,000 of weight-loss surgery so that he can then go on to have the back surgery.

If I was an employer in the US I'd definitely be putting the obese to the bottom of the pile of applicants now. They're probably inefficient workers in any job that requires moving around anyway.

Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/6170874/Pizza-shop-must-pay-for-employees-weight-loss-surgery-court-rules.html

Fox · Joined: 04 Mar 2009

If we're going to hold employers accountable in fashions like this, how could we reasonably expect them to not be biased against hiring people like Mr. 380 pounds?

caniff · Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Location: All over the map

djsmnc · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

That poor man. He is clearly the victim of a society and restaurant that promote unhealthy lifestyles. The restaurant probably tricked him into an eating disorder by offering free or discounted pizzas during lunch breaks. He probably felt obligated to accept the pizza as he worked within the confines of the restaurant and had to be around it all day. Then someone attacked him with the freezer door.

KuroBara · Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 10:14 pm Post subject:

I am frankly against the verdict because I don't see how the employer was responsible. Accidents happen, and how could the employer have prevented this one?. The employer should not have to pay for anything, not the back surgery or the WLS. Well, maybe some workman's comp.

Also, while I feel that the employee should be responsible for his own weight loss (and any costs incurred for said wl), now that the guy has been injured at work, how is he supposed to exercise to lose weight? What real exercise does not require the use of a strong back? It's not as if the man planned to be hit by a freezer door and expected to need surgery. If the man were thin, would you be happier about the employer having to pay for the back surgery?
If the obese guy had been hit in a car accident and needed the back surgery, and pre-requesite WLS, would you be against the insurance claim paying for both surgeries?

Moldy Rutabaga · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Location: Ansan, Korea

Not to mention, they eat all the donuts in the break room.

Ken:> Cool

benji · Joined: 21 Jul 2009

I used to work in Human Resources and I did the hiring for our office. I only hired fat or middle aged women. If you hire young pretty girls eventually you will get sexual harrassment lawsuits.

geldedgoat · Joined: 05 Mar 2009

ontheway · Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 7:08 am Post subject:

mises · Joined: 05 Nov 2007 Location: retired

These suits are a huge burden to business. Even if you do everything right you're going to have to deal with it. The way it is set up the only people who are safe to hire are straight, white, Protestant, disability free (including weight) men. They can't really sue for much of anything. Holder said that the hate crimes laws being pushed though will not apply to them (though that's only marginally related to this topic, it speaks to the general idea).

Who would hire a female, gay, muslim, obese (or gorgeous) worker? Even if she is the best worker ever, it's just too much of a risk. Best to stick with the descendants of Mad Men.

Hyeon Een · Joined: 24 Jun 2005

catchshime · Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:16 pm Post subject:

catchshime · Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 10:17 pm Post subject:

By the way, your picture also looks like Richard Simmons to boot.

Like a Pony!