Many Anti-Bullying Policies Are Forgetting Something Critical (And Your Fat Employees Are Paying the Price)

When was the last time you reviewed your company's anti-bullying policy? You probably have comprehensive language about protected classes, sexual harassment, and discrimination based on race, gender, and religion, etc., which is incredible and very much needed, but you may be missing something really important. If your policy doesn't explicitly address comments about people's lunch choices, their body size, or their weight, you're leaving your employees vulnerable to a form of harassment that's happening right under your nose.

The Hidden Problem in Your Workplace

Picture this: Sarah from accounting brings a salad to the team meeting and gets praised for "being so good." Meanwhile, Mo from marketing grabs a slice of pizza and faces comments about "living dangerously" or jokes about his "diet starting Monday." Sound familiar?

Here's what's really happening: Weight-based harassment isn't just casual workplace banter – it's a form of discrimination that creates hostile work environments for employees in larger bodies.

And before you think this is just about hurt feelings, let me share some data that might change your perspective. According to 2023 SHRM research, 12% of U.S. workers report feeling unfairly treated due to their weight during their careers, while 11% of HR professionals admit that an applicant's weight has influenced hiring decisions at their organization. Even more concerning, over 1 in 10 HR professionals acknowledge that employees with bigger bodies aren't always treated as fairly as smaller-bodied employees. The Weight Inclusive Consulting Fat at Work Report found an astonishing 95.65% ​​of fat folks described anti-fat experiences at work. Meanwhile, Harvard University research shows that weight bias increased by 40% from 2007 to 2016. Yet most anti-bullying policies completely ignore this reality, leaving a significant gap in workplace protection.

Why Your Current Policy Falls Short

Most workplace harassment policies focus exclusively on federally protected classes. But harassment based on body size and eating choices creates the same toxic environment, the same psychological harm, and the same legal risks for your organization.

Think about it: If an employee consistently faces comments about their lunch choices, gets excluded from team lunches because colleagues assume they're "trying to be healthy," or endures jokes about their body size, how is that different from other forms of workplace harassment?

Consider this story from The Weight Inclusive Consulting Fat at Work Report: A manager made jokes about multiple coworkers' eating habits across departments. During a wellness initiative tracking daily vegetable servings, one employee participated enthusiastically and likely won – but no winner was ever announced, and the promised prize never materialized. The message? Your participation and success don't matter if you're fat.

Or this one: An employee overheard their supervisor telling a colleague while watching them get seconds at a company lunch buffet, "that one just thinks with their stomach." Imagine trying to focus on your work after hearing your supervisor reduce you to a stereotype about fat people and food.

The Real Cost of Weight-Based Harassment

Let's talk about what this actually costs your organization:

Employee Engagement: When employees feel unsafe or judged, they disengage. That's lost productivity, reduced creativity, and higher turnover.

Legal Risk: While weight isn't federally protected, several states and cities have added weight discrimination to their civil rights laws. And harassment that creates hostile work environments can still result in legal action.

Company Culture: If you're allowing harassment of any kind, you're signaling that some employees matter less than others. That's not the inclusive culture you're trying to build.

Talent Retention: Your best employees – regardless of their body size – want to work in environments where everyone is treated with dignity.

What Weight-Based Harassment Actually Looks Like

Here's the thing – it's often disguised as "concern for health" or "friendly workplace banter." But impact matters more than intent. Common examples include:

• Comments about what someone is eating ("Should you be eating that?")

• Assumptions about dietary restrictions or health status

• Jokes about body size or appearance

• Exclusion from social events or team activities

• Different treatment in client-facing roles based on appearance

Here are more examples from The Weight Inclusive Consulting Fat at Work Report that show how this plays out in real workplaces:

One employee described a manager who insisted on lunchtime meetings where team members weren't allowed to eat. When this same manager would "treat" the team to happy hour or lunch, she would only allow them to order what she considered healthy foods – low-fat, low-carb, sugar-free options. Think about the power dynamic there: your food choices being controlled by your supervisor under the guise of "treating" you.

Another employee shared that their boss called them "Miss Piggy" behind their back to other colleagues for two years. They only learned about it after leaving the company when a colleague finally came clean. Two years of being dehumanized by the person responsible for their career development, and a workplace culture where everyone knew but no one spoke up.

Updating Your Policy: A Framework for Change

So what does an inclusive anti-bullying policy look like? It acknowledges that harassment isn't limited to protected classes and specifically addresses:

Body Size and Appearance: Clear language that comments about someone's body, eating habits, or appearance are unacceptable.

Food and Dietary Choices: Protection from judgment or commentary about what, when, or how much someone eats.

Health Assumptions: Prohibition against making assumptions about someone's health based on their appearance.

Equal Treatment: Ensuring all employees receive the same respect and professional treatment regardless of body size.

Making It Stick: Implementation That Works

Policy updates only work if they're part of a broader cultural shift. Here's how to make it real:

Leadership Modeling: Your executives need to understand and demonstrate these principles. If leadership is making comments about their own or others' eating habits, your policy means nothing.

Training That Goes Beyond Compliance: Help employees understand why this matters and how to create more inclusive interactions.

Clear Reporting Mechanisms: Employees need to know how to report these incidents and trust they'll be taken seriously.

Regular Review: Like all aspects of DEI work, this requires ongoing attention and refinement.

Your Action Step: The Policy Audit

Here's your actionable takeaway: Conduct a comprehensive review of your current anti-bullying and harassment policies. Ask yourself:

• Does our policy explicitly address comments about food, eating, and body size?

• Do our examples of harassment include weight-based scenarios?

• Are our managers trained to recognize and address these situations?

• Do employees feel safe reporting food and body-related harassment?

Come join me in creating workplaces where all employees – including fat ones – can show up authentically without fear of judgment or harassment.

The Bottom Line

Your anti-bullying policy should protect all your employees, not just those in federally recognized protected classes. When you include language about food, eating, and body size harassment, you're not just updating a document – you're sending a clear message that every employee deserves dignity and respect.

And honestly? That's not just good policy – it's good business.

Ready to audit your policies for size inclusion and weight bias? Your employees are counting on it.

Want to make your organization size inclusive? Visit www.WeightInclusiveConsulting.com

Vinny Welsby (they/them) is a fat activist and diversity, equity and inclusion leader. They are a world-leading expert on dismantling anti-fat bias and diet culture, a TEDx speaker, podcast host and best-selling author. Vinny is trans-non-binary and is dedicated to shifting how society views fat and queer bodies through education and compassion.

When Vinny isn’t talking about DEI stuff, they love snuggling with their dog, cross-stitching swear words and singing in a show tunes choir.