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EU Court Rules That Fatness 'Can Constitute A Disability’
Telegraph (UK) ^ | December 18, 2014 | Bruno Waterfield

Posted on 12/18/2014 8:33:32 PM PST by Steelfish

EU Court Rules That Fatness 'Can Constitute A Disability’ EU court ruling means that British bosses will be required to treat obese workers as "disabled" providing them with larger seats, special parking spaces and other facilities

The judgment means British companies will be required to treat obese workers as "disabled", providing them with larger seats, special parking spaces and other facilities Photo: PA By Bruno Waterfield 18 Dec 2014 Fatness "can constitute a disability" for the purposes of European Union equality at work legislation, Europe's highest court has ruled. The judgment means British companies will be required to treat obese workers as "disabled", providing them with larger seats, special parking spaces and other facilities.

“Obesity can constitute a ‘disability’ within the meaning of the Employment Equality Directive,” the European Court of Justice ruled.

“While no general principle of EU law prohibits, in itself, discrimination on grounds of obesity, that condition falls within the concept of ‘disability’ where, under particular conditions, it hinders the full and effective participation of the person concerned in professional life on an equal basis with other workers.”

The EU court ruling, which is binding on British employers, follows a case brought by Karsten Kaltoft, a Danish childminder, who claimed he was sacked by his local authority employer because he was so overweight.

Mr Kaltoft, who now has a different job as a lorry driver, hailed the ruling as victory against his sacking by his former employer, the local authority in the small Danish town of Billund. "It is good that we now recognise that obesity can be a handicap, and I hope that municipality realise that it was not okay to fire me,” he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
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1 posted on 12/18/2014 8:33:32 PM PST by Steelfish
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To: Steelfish

Yea!!!!!
Where’s my SSI disability check?


2 posted on 12/18/2014 8:36:08 PM PST by VanShuyten ("a shadow...draped nobly in the folds of a gorgeous eloquence.")
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To: Steelfish

I was always thinking a 400 pounder would be pretty strong if they lost all that weight.


3 posted on 12/18/2014 8:36:47 PM PST by ROCKLOBSTER (Celebrate "Republicans Freed the Slaves Month")
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To: Steelfish

Can fat people qualify as a minority, and thereby come under a quota system? We need to seem more fat slobs in Harvard and Stanford.


4 posted on 12/18/2014 8:36:54 PM PST by Cowboy Bob (They are called "Liberals" because the word "parasite" was already taken.)
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To: Steelfish
Obesity is a SELF-INFLICTED disability and therefore a SELF-CURING one.

There are WEIGHT WATCHERS all over this country AND in the U.K.

WEIGHT WATCHERS is the only plan that KEEPS THE WEIGHT OFF. All other plans will take the weight off but NONE keep the weight off...built-in failure.

5 posted on 12/18/2014 8:38:24 PM PST by cloudmountain
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To: Steelfish

Everyone would be better off if the employers would mandate and pay for gastric bypass surgery.


6 posted on 12/18/2014 8:40:11 PM PST by lightman (O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance, giving to Thy Church vict'ry o'er Her enemies.)
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To: Steelfish
And this new disability is so horribly capricious too!

It seems to strike only those who spend too much time at all-you-can-eat buffets!

7 posted on 12/18/2014 8:40:58 PM PST by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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To: Steelfish

Whatta bout Fat Headiness?


8 posted on 12/18/2014 8:44:04 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: Steelfish

Wow! Talk about “fat shaming.” That’s a big insult to everyone who is overweight.


9 posted on 12/18/2014 8:46:47 PM PST by TigersEye (ISIS is the tip of the spear. The spear is Islam.)
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To: Steelfish

Goodie, goodie, goodie, goodie. Now, where’s my government check?


10 posted on 12/18/2014 8:47:24 PM PST by upchuck (A Free Market; Individual Liberty; Limited Government; And to the Republic for which it stands.)
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To: ROCKLOBSTER
I was always thinking a 400 pounder would be pretty strong if they lost all that weigh

Ha...couple of problems with that....

First off (no pun intended) the skin stays almost the same size......so there is going to be a lot of it flapping around when the weight comes off

and

A 400 pounder is not so mobile, so lacking in muscle weight and tone.

11 posted on 12/18/2014 8:57:58 PM PST by spokeshave (He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people,)
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To: cloudmountain
WEIGHT WATCHERS is the only plan that KEEPS THE WEIGHT OFF. All other plans will take the weight off but NONE keep the weight off...built-in failure.

Not true....you just have to find a physically challenging job.

I went from 195 lbs to 165 lbs in 8 months delivering propane from a tanker truck.

I since stopped driving this winter and put back 5 lbs in 2 months.

12 posted on 12/18/2014 9:01:58 PM PST by spokeshave (He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people,)
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To: Steelfish

Europe accelerates its downward spiral down the toilet.

The goal of progressivism is to eliminate as many consequences of bad choices as possible. That will get votes initially, but once the state runs out of money to pay for irresponsible people’s consequences, then the freedom to make those choices will be taken away, and not just from the irresponsible people but from everyone.

The NYC ban on large soft drinks is a perfect example.

What will happen in this case is utterly predictable:

1. This is an incentive to be fat, therefore there will be more fat people

2. More fat people will put a bigger burden to the socialist medical system in Europe.

3. The state will then do one or more of the following

a. raise taxes on food that makes you fate (everything but lettuce)

b. Limit how much food you can buy a week at grocery stores or restaurants

c. Reduce the portion sizes at restaurants

d. Eliminate the “all you can eat” places (I don’t think they have any in Europe)

e. Whatever else a diligent bureaucrat can come up with.

In addition to the above, european businesses will lose their competitive edge vs similar businesses in other countries that are smart enough to not institute such an idiotic law, resulting in fewer jobs, with all the negative consequences that that brings about.


13 posted on 12/18/2014 9:18:08 PM PST by aquila48
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To: Steelfish

Free stuff for fat people! The Obola thugocracy will pick this one up real quick - for illegals and PC skin colors. Whitey need not apply.


14 posted on 12/18/2014 9:25:14 PM PST by bluejean (The lunatics are running the asylum)
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To: Steelfish

They will torment us endlessly because they do so with the approval of their own consciences.


15 posted on 12/18/2014 10:12:17 PM PST by Seruzawa (All those memories will be lost, like tears in rain.)
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To: Steelfish

Given the health Nazis have taken to abusing fat people, this decision is fine with me. They should give the same protections to smokers or any other group targeted by mobs of group think haters.


16 posted on 12/18/2014 11:33:42 PM PST by SaraJohnson
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To: cloudmountain
Obesity is a SELF-INFLICTED disability and therefore a SELF-CURING one.

Not true in all cases

WEIGHT WATCHERS is the only plan that KEEPS THE WEIGHT OFF. All other plans will take the weight off but NONE keep the weight off...built-in failure.

More nonsense (and spam)

17 posted on 12/19/2014 1:20:00 AM PST by Starwolf
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To: Steelfish

Do you think that if they (the heavy or “obese”)didn’t get the choice parking spots in front, the extra walk would be beneficial? ( in my best Andy Rooney voice ) And, BTW, why are there braille keypads at drive up ATM’s?

I know, I’m insensitive and uncaring.


18 posted on 12/19/2014 3:16:07 AM PST by Artie (We are surrounded by MORONS)
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To: Steelfish

What about plumpness?


19 posted on 12/19/2014 3:44:44 AM PST by Savage Beast (Hubris and denial overwhelm Western Civilization. Nemesis and tragedy always follow.)
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To: Steelfish

BTW—is it legal to say “fat” anymore? Mightn’t it hurt somebody’s feelings?


20 posted on 12/19/2014 3:46:09 AM PST by Savage Beast (Hubris and denial overwhelm Western Civilization. Nemesis and tragedy always follow.)
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