I have a friend who works for the human resources trade association in another state. One of their hot buttons is insurance costs. We discussed the fact that employers are looking more closely at possible job candidates and this includes the state of their health. My friend has an acquaintance who is very qualified but who has been looking for a job for months. This woman is overweight and has cardiac issues. My friend was honest with her acquaintance staying that even though an employer would never tell her, her weight is probably a significant reason in the fact that she is not getting hired for positions. Many employers have become savvy when it comes to employee benefit programs and increasing costs. They realize that people who do not have the self restraint to manage their weight, quit smoking, etc. are going to drive their health insurance costs right through the roof and this will affect costs for employees who maintain health lifestyles. Not to mention the fact that these “health risk employees” cost them more in sick and lost time. My friend’s acquaintance saw these comments as discriminatory, unfortunately no matter how she sees them, they are the reality of today.
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