Physical Appearance
According to an exclusive Newsweek poll, a person’s looks plays an important role in their ability to get ahead in the workplace. “Lookism” is seen as having an especially big impact on women, both for the positive and the negative. People are more likely to think attractive women benefit than they are to think the same about good looking men. However, women are also more likely than men to be seen as being held back at work because of their looks.
The survey did not find a big gender difference in perceptions about how looks play out as a factor impacting people’s success in the workplace. Both men and women are likely to see looks working to the advantage of attractive females than they are to see it benefitting attractive males.
In contrast, less than half (42%) regard “looking older” as a disadvantage professionally. In another indication that looks-bias hurts women more, 47% of women vs. 37% of men say looking older is a disadvantage at work.
Most people see looks-bias in the workplace, but they have mixed opinions about taking steps to deal with it. The story of Debrahlee Lorenzana, the Queens woman who sued Citibank on June 2010, alleging she was fired for being “too hot.” Whether or not there’s any validity to the woman’s case, women in the workplace are often faced with a double bind: they are expected to be sexy but can be punished for being too attractive.
