WEIGHT DISCRIMINATION IN THE LABOUR LAW

Abstract

In 2010, it was reported in the news that Turkish Airlines forced twenty-eight cabin crews to take a six-month unpaid leave to lose weight because they could not maintain their weight ratio. A similar practice was also seen in Air India company in recent years. For example, in 2019, some cabin crews at Air India company were forced to a low-calorie diet to maintain “normal weight”; in 2015, some cabin crews were asked to lose weight. Practices such as termination of employment contracts, unpaid leave, assignment to another job, low wages, not being promoted due to weight are observed not only in the aviation sector but also in all areas of working life. Employees or applicants who are overweight or underweight may face various discriminatory behaviors in their working lives due to their weight. In this context, the employer's duty of equal treatment and non-discrimination needs to be considered in terms of the employee’s weight.