Every Body is Different

Conversations around body-size inclusion are becoming more prevalent in the workplace, allowing us all to examine both professional and personal biases that can be deeply embedded into our workplace culture. Learning genuine ways to discuss body size to establish inclusivity, increase representation internally and externally, and refrain from harmful practices can ensure that your organization’s diversity, equity, and belonging programming is truly inclusive.

Q: I want to actively support inclusion and diversity for all of our employees, but I don’t always know the correct way to lead or begin having conversations around body diversity. Even mentioning body size has been stigmatized for much of my professional career. How can I personally address this and how can that extend into my work life as a people leader?

Research consistently shows that body size can be a source of discrimination during the hiring process, and can affect both advancement opportunities and compensation. Examining your own biases is a positive first step.

“Talking about bodies is still viewed as taboo, and many people are not comfortable even saying the word ‘fat,’ let alone talking comfortably about fatness or body size,” says Kristen Kaufmann, Salesforce’s program manager for equality groups. “The way we view our own and other bodies is filtered through our experiences in society, family, and culture, and for many of us that filter has boiled down to small equals good.”

This continues with destigmatizing the word “fat.” Employees hoping to make progress toward body inclusivity are leaning into the descriptor in efforts to neutralize and normalize the word. In the workplace, advocating for additional training and education on size bias and inclusive language for managers and leaders is a great way to begin laying the foundation for companywide action.

Q: What are ways I can support our organization’s employees in creating change and progress with regards to size inclusivity in the workplace?

Expand your employee-led groups to include one focused on body size diversity, or specific programming to address this often-overlooked identity. “Companies need to allow and facilitate having basic conversations about bodies and body size,” Kaufmann says. “Take the time to listen and ask what your employees want. Fat bodies working in a warehouse environment will likely have different areas of importance than someone working in an office-based environment. Giving people a safe space to talk about bodies in the workplace is an easy first step.”

Confirm that these conversations actively facilitate a safe space for all intersectional identities, including race, national origin, age, physical ability, and sexual orientation. Make sure to establish a clear path for implementing change as a result of these conversations.

Q: Now that my company’s stated DEIB values include size inclusivity, what are some ways to mitigate some of the harmful practices that may have once been part of employee policies?

Body type inclusivity can be infused into all stages of an employee’s experience, from recruitment and hiring to performance evaluations and retention opportunities. Past policies should be reviewed with a new lens. Unintentional (or intentional) workplace programs that suggest an “optimal” body type should be changed or discontinued.

For example, many organizations have offered “fitness challenges” under the guise of promoting health and wellness. “Running a fitness or weight loss challenge at work precludes a lot of people for various reasons,” Kaufmann says. “Fitness and weight loss does not equal work performance in most cases.”

These types of programs can increase anxiety and foster a culture and environment of exclusion, even if participation is voluntary. A program or policy that even one person might feel “othered” by is not inclusive.

Ensure that physical office spaces and work-travel options are accessible, accommodating, and comfortable for all body sizes. Addressing biases and practices will help your organization create a workplace that is welcoming of all-sized bodies.

Tara Buchan and Dani Carbary founded TADA Partners and lead Collabor8 Employer Collective, a cohort of employer organizations of varying industries and sizes focused on infusing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into all eight stages of an employee’s life cycle .