A comparative labour law perspective on categories of appearance-based prejudice in employment

[摘要] English: Appearance discrimination entails discrimination against persons because of anaspect of their appearance, such as their physical attractiveness, height, weight,manner of dress and grooming styles. It also extends to individuals who elect to altertheir appearance by undergoing gender reassignment.Appearance-based discrimination is a prevalent concern in workplaces across theglobe, with jurisdictions such as the United States of America, Australia, the UnitedKingdom, Europe, Malaysia, Japan, China and South Africa showing signs of thisproblem. Employers' subconscious appearance preferences seem to filter into theiremployment decisions, policies and practices, causing employees who do not meetcertain appearance standards to suffer discrimination in employment. Employeesmay also be subjected to bullying, harassment and hostile work environmentsbecause of their appearance characteristics.Research indicates that individuals who are physically more attractive as well astaller enjoy preference in the employment realm, while less attractive and shorterindividuals are discriminated against and often suffer employment detriment, evenwhen these characteristics are unrelated to the inherent requirements of the job.Employers' discretion to impose dress codes and grooming standards (when suchcriteria are unrelated to the inherent nature of the employment position) in effect curbemployees' right to freedom of expression via their appearance, as well as theirindividuality and personal autonomy.Particular considerations in the context of appearance-based discrimination includeweight-based discrimination, discrimination against so-called ―trans-employees�? aswell as appearance-related bullying and harassment of employees.Individuals whose body weight deviates from the norm experience significantdiscrimination in the workplace. Overweight and obese individuals suffer particularlysevere employment detriment, as they are assumed to be in ill health, to be lazy andlacking work ethic. Employees who choose to alter their appearance through theprocess of gender reassignment are equally severely discriminated against in the employment setting. As is the position with the other categories of appearancediscrimination, these individuals have little legal recourse that explicitly addressesthe nature of the unfair discrimination to which they are subjected. Bullying andharassment of employees because of an aspect of their appearance is anothersignificant concern in employment, with the same limited legal protection currentlyavailable to victims. As bullying is not governed or prohibited by law, and theappearance categories fall outside the ambit of the listed grounds of prohibiteddiscrimination, such conduct does not officially amount to harassment either.The global attitude towards appearance discrimination is however beginning tochange, and the International Labour Organisation has recognised this problem.Various states in the United States of America and in Australia have started enactinglegislation to govern this issue and outlaw appearance discrimination in theemployment arena. The judiciaries of these jurisdictions, as well as those in theEuropean Union and South Africa, are also hearing more and more cases in thisregard. South Africa still lags behind the rest of the world in dealing with thisconcern, even though many employees in the country do suffer unfair discrimination,bullying and harassment on the basis of their appearance.Discriminating against employees based on their appearance, without suchdiscrimination being legally justifiable, amounts to unfair discrimination, and violatesvictims' rights to equality and dignity. It also acts as a barrier to equity in theworkplace. Harassment and bullying of individuals because of an aspect of theirappearance is equally unacceptable, amounting to a dignity violation.Afrikaans: Voorkomsdiskriminasie behels diskriminasie teen persone as gevolg van 'n aspekvan hul voorkoms, onder meer fisiese aantreklikheid, lengte, gewig, klerestyl ofpersoonlike versorging. Dit geld ook vir individue wat kies om hul voorkoms deurgeslagswysiging te verander.Voorkomsdiskriminasie is 'n algemene probleem in werkplekke oor die hele wêreld,met jurisdiksies soos die Verenigde State van Amerika, Australië, die VerenigdeKoninkryk, Europa, Maleisië, Japan, China en Suid-Afrika wat tekens daarvan toon.Werkgewers se voorkomsvoorkeure sypel deur na hul indiensnemingsbesluite,beleide en praktyke, en stel werknemers wat nie aan sekere voorkomsstandaardevoldoen nie, aan diskriminasie bloot. Werknemers word ook dikwels blootgestel aanbullebakkery en teistering op grond van hul voorkoms.Navorsing dui daarop dat individue wat fisies aantrekliker en langer is, voorkeur indie werkplek geniet, terwyl minder aantreklike en korter individue diskriminasie enbenadeling in die werksomgewing ervaar, selfs wanneer hierdie eienskappe nie metdie kernvereistes van hul werk verband hou nie.Werkgewers se diskresie om dragkodes en versorgingstandaarde neer te lê (waarsulke kriteria nie met die kernvereistes van die werk verband hou nie), beperkinderwaarheid werknemers se reg op vryheid van uitdrukking via hul voorkoms, en lêhul individualiteit en persoonlike outonomie aan bande.Bepaalde oorwegings in verband met voorkomsgegronde diskriminasie sluit ingewigsdiskriminasie, diskriminasie teen sogenaamde ―transwerknemers�? sowel asvoorkomsverwante bullebakkery en teistering van werknemers.Individue wie se liggaamsgewig van die norm afwyk, ervaar beduidendediskriminasie in die werkplek. Oorgewig en vetsugtige individue ondervind veral ergebenadeling in die werkplek omdat daar aangeneem word dat hulle siek is, lui is enoor swak werksetiek beskik. Werknemers wat kies om hul voorkoms deur die prosesvan geslagswysiging te verander, ervaar ewe erge diskriminasie in die werksomgewing. Soos met die ander kategorieë van voorkomsdiskriminasie, hethierdie individue weinig remedies tot hul beskikking wat die onbillike diskriminasiespesifiek hanteer. Afknouery en teistering van werknemers as gevolg van 'n aspekvan hul voorkoms is nóg 'n beduidende bron van kommer in die werksomgewing,met ewe min wetlike beskerming tot slagoffers se beskikking. Aangesienbullebakkery en teistering nie volgens wet gereguleer of verbied word nie, en dievoorkomskategorieë buite die bestek van die gelyste gronde van verbodediskriminasie val, is sulke optrede ook nie (wetlik beskou) teistering nie.Die wêreldwye houding teenoor voorkomsdiskriminasie is egter besig om teverander, en die Internasionale Arbeidsorganisasie het reeds die probleem erken.Verskeie state in die Verenigde State van Amerika en in Australië het begin omwetgewing uit te vaardig om hierdie probleem in die werksomgewing te reguleer ente verbied. Die howe van dié jurisdiksies, sowel as dié in die Europese Unie en Suid-Afrika, hoor ook al hoe meer geskille op hierdie gebied aan. Suid-Afrika is egtersteeds agter die res van die wêreld in die hantering van hierdie kwessie, al gaanheelwat werknemers in die land gebuk onder onbillike diskriminasie, teistering enbullebakkery op grond van hul voorkoms.Diskriminasie teen werknemers op grond van hul voorkoms, sonder dat dit wetlikgeregverdig kan word, kom neer op onbillike diskriminasie, en skend die slagoffersse reg op gelykheid en waardigheid. Sulke diskriminasie dien ook as 'n hindernis virgelykheid in die werkplek. Teistering en afknouery van individue as gevolg van 'naspek van hul voorkoms is ewe onaanvaarbaar, en kom op 'n skending vanmenswaardigheid neer.

[发布机构] University of the Free State