jojo ♥

Monday, June 7

Wages for Beauty - is that fair?

I’m not sure if you have read about the brouhaha over at Citigroup in New York City, but if you haven’t, here’s a good summary - click here!

A quick apt gist: A curvy lady was fired after she didn’t adhere to bosses’ request to stop dressing to distract her male colleagues. Her office attire? Pencil skirts, turtlenecks, jackets and regular heels – in the same style as her colleagues.

The commentary goes on to unearth shocking revelations, which on hindsight is probably present all the while, taller guys and thinner girls get paid more.

Revelation #1: In 2005, a study showed that good-looking people and taller people gets a “beauty premium” of an extra 5% per hour, while plain people suffer a loss of 9% in wages.

Another study shows that for every inch of height a guy has, he earns an additional $1,115 per year. And obese women have a tendency to earn lesser than women of average height.
Is that fair?

If I’m as capable, equally qualified as the next graduate but have somehow failed to find the secret of keeping my weight at 44kg when hovering at 1.61cm, I get regular or up to 9% less in wages.

(I hope the 9% is the difference between the beauty premium and the plain penalty; instead of it referring to 9% below average! That would cap the difference at a much higher 14%.)

And let me remind you that that’s an unhealthy BMI of 16.9, and MOH dictates that healthy BMI stay in the 18 – 25 range. Yes, I’m a tad BMI-obsessive.

But in the name of higher pay and more money, I will be sure to stay a strict exercise regime, and to look for a tall boyfriend and to get my future kids to work hard at skipping rope.

But here comes Revelation #2: unattractive people are more employable.

And no, this isn’t directly implied by the Citigroup brouhaha (now a lawsuit), nor an indication that companies want to save on the 9% / 14% difference. It’s because the men in the company do not want to be tempted by beautiful forbidden fruit, and the women do not want to be depressed and distracted by prettier women.

And vice versa. Though I'm betting women do not mind being tempted by 'beautiful forbidden fruit' of the male variety, and men... do you guys get depressed when working with better looking males?

It is rather discouraging however, and telling of society that we have gone not after geniuses and talents but looks and beauty.

Which I will (have no choice but to) attempt to follow in order to join and win the competitive rat-race – uhm, a question though, will unattractive tall people get better wages?

And remind me not to tell you how quickly I was employed after graduation.

Labels: writings

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