Height Discrimination In The Workplace Is A Real Problem
Whether you know it or not height discrimination occurring in the workplace is a real problem that needs to be addressed.
This article is more than 2 years old
Discrimination of all kinds is a massive issue in America. Many people of recent generations are attempting to combat preconceived notions and engrained biases by challenging the functions of our society. Discrimination based on race, class, age, gender, and sexual orientation can significantly impede people’s lives, especially concerning occupation. Alongside many biases employers might have, height discrimination is one type of bias that companies may subconsciously utilize when hiring new prospects.
Height, like other physical traits, has socialized meaning based on gender and sexual orientation. Tall men are seen as the standard, while shorter men may have a more challenging time navigating their social and economic roles. Height discrimination, though one of the least studied biases, is present in many social structures and is a common topic of conversation. But could height discrimination really occur in occupational situations?
According to recent studies, height discrimination can affect how men and women are hired and for what roles they’re considered for. One study shows a correlation between income and height, where men and women were reviewed over 20 years. Men ten centimeters taller made $1000 to $2000 more on average than their shorter counterparts. Women also had a similar outcome, proving some sort of job disparity between height differences.
Other research has been conducted around inherent biases to reveal how height discrimination materializes. One study found that people recognize taller men and women as more “leader-like,” without any other knowledge about their credentials or personality types. Men have also received more managerial promotions based on their height. These implicit biases affect how we look at the world around us and subsequently make life more difficult for shorter men and women. Since this type of bias isn’t always discussed, it’s essential to highlight its prevalence to make employers more aware of their subconscious prejudices.
Unfortunately, over several centuries, people worldwide have come to look at height as a beneficial or damaging trait. Tall men are associated with leadership and power, while shorter men are emasculated or treated as weak. Though this is obviously not true, these notions passed down for generations affect certain people’s privileges and ability to navigate life more easily. Dr. Omer Kimhi, an associate professor at the University of Haifa, believes that height discrimination started from our evolutionary process. “If you’re bigger, you’re the head of the group,” Kimhi stated, hypothesizing about humans during prehistoric periods. The way we see height today could be associated with ancient ideas of who is perceived as the most capable of leading a group.
Height discrimination is prevalent yet often concealed, often popping up as covert idioms or expressions in various languages around the world. In English, facetious expressions referencing failure often play on shortness as a negative trait. Pulling the short straw, being short-changed, or falling short of something are phrases centered around losing or a negative outcome. Conversely, standing tall or fulfilling tall orders are idioms regarding success, strength, and bravery. Though these terms and their meanings might seem like a stretch, implicit biases have a way of sneaking into culture subtly, like with everyday phrases and speech.
