Health & Medicine
Obesity Now Considered A Disability By Top European Court
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Dec 18, 2014 05:20 PM EST
Obesity has been tagged as a disability, according to Europe's top court. On Thursday, officials ruled that obese employees will be granted specific protection under European laws, providing better support for obese staff.
The case was brought to the highest level of a Danish court for guidance over a case involving a child who was allegedly dismissed from a job by local authorities because of weight issues.
If an employee's weight has hindered them unable to participate in a professional life on an equal basis of other works, than this will be qualified as a disability, according to officials.
However, some critics of the idea also believe that this ruling still leaves companies open to potential discrimination suits.
"If you consider the obese disabled, all of a sudden it triggers certain protections for employees," said Jacob Sand, a partner at Danish law firm Gorrissen Federspiel which represented Kaltoft, via Reuters.
However, while employers are still required to make adjustments that help obese individuals perform certain roles, it does not mean that an employer cannot fire an obese individual.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
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First Posted: Dec 18, 2014 05:20 PM EST
Obesity has been tagged as a disability, according to Europe's top court. On Thursday, officials ruled that obese employees will be granted specific protection under European laws, providing better support for obese staff.
The case was brought to the highest level of a Danish court for guidance over a case involving a child who was allegedly dismissed from a job by local authorities because of weight issues.
If an employee's weight has hindered them unable to participate in a professional life on an equal basis of other works, than this will be qualified as a disability, according to officials.
However, some critics of the idea also believe that this ruling still leaves companies open to potential discrimination suits.
"If you consider the obese disabled, all of a sudden it triggers certain protections for employees," said Jacob Sand, a partner at Danish law firm Gorrissen Federspiel which represented Kaltoft, via Reuters.
However, while employers are still required to make adjustments that help obese individuals perform certain roles, it does not mean that an employer cannot fire an obese individual.
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone