Mr Johnson, 53, of Holgate, York, has told how he was born with a disfiguring skin condition, neurofibromatosis, that has left him with hundreds of benign tumours all over his body and face.
The father-of-two said he was desperate for work after being made redundant last month, but despite applying for 80 jobs, he was yet to be offered anything permanent and he believed he was being discriminated against.
He said: “When people turn you down because they don’t want you on show on their shop floor, that hurts because I can do the job just as good as the next person.
“A lot of people see my face and are scared of catching something even though it’s not infectious – I think employers feel uneasy about taking me on.
“I’m not tall. I’m not good- looking. I’m not rich. But people shouldn’t discriminate against me for that.”
2 comments:
I've been having similiar problems as you did Arbroath. I've gone to interviews, dressed professionally, bathed, clean shaven, hair combed, teeth brushed, overall well presentable. Yet it seems no matter how well the interview goes (I am courteous, honest, respectful, and friendly), even though I present myself with confidence, they all end the same; "we'll call you back," but the call never comes. I will be honest, I truly believe it is because of the way I look that I don't get hired. I can back this assumption up easily with the fact of how I was ostracized as a kid as well as picked on by literally the whole school. Though they never say it to my face, I am confident that is what they are thinking, and I'm so tired of the "good looking" people who come to the interview dressed in baggy clothing getting hired over me. Anyways just thought I'd share this, and congrats on getting a job, however late this is.
One of the biggest issues facing job seekers over 40+ are the ever-increasing Generation X-ers that have found their way into HR and recruiting positions. They probably have a bias against older people to start with, and then are quick to criticize or extend a sense of "superiority" to, simply because most of them are arrogant.
There is no doubt, unfortunately, that looks can be a role into whether someone gets hired or not. The entire world seems to be heading to unbelievable amounts of superficiality.
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