Bullies ‘make it hard for ugly people to succeed at workplace’

By GARDY CHACHA

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Life is unfair and the beauty barometer on many eyes can rule on you ruthlessly. Men – even though subtly – want to look like the Mexican Alejandro Camacho. Women want to have Angelina Jolie’s eyes, Beyonce Knowles’ gluteus maximus, Jennifer Lopez’s hair, Kim Kardashian’s cleavage and Hale Berry’s svelte shape.

Don’t you agree?

If no, how much time do you spend in front of the mirror to achieve ‘the’ look? Yes! That’s what I am talking about.

Do you think you are ugly? Do your workmates treat you less importantly? Brent Scott, an associate professor of management at Michigan State University in the US has found a connection between ‘ugliness’ and bad treatment at work or even generally in life.

Prof Scott and his team of researchers asked 114 workers in the US how often their colleagues cruelly handled them: Things like saying hurtful words, acting rudely and making fun of them.

A separate group, who did not know any of the study participants, was each shown photos of the workers and asked to rate their physical and facial appeal. It emerged that those who were rated as unattractive got harsher treatment than those the separate group classed as attractive.

The harsh treatment included being given menial tasks or jobs other people did not want to do. Painfully, it also emerged that many of them had been overlooked for promotion at least once.

The researchers strongly concluded that their ‘ugliness’ was to blame on a bigger scale as other key factors, including age, gender and how long they had worked.

In their conclusions, the researchers mentioned that unattractive employees were treated more sub-human than their co-workers. Essentially, people, who are considered unattractive, are more likely to be belittled and bullied in the workplace, according to the study’s findings.

Previous research has found that even while growing up, attractive students tend to be more popular in school. They merge as the primadonna ‘queens’ and ‘kings’ of the school. All the other ‘worker bees’ behave at their behest and flock around them with utmost loyalty. Don’t blame them…it is their attractiveness that works the magic.

 “Although we like to think we’re professional and mature in the workplace, it can be just like high school in many ways. Our findings revealed that both personality and appearance matter,” said Scott.

Do you need any more explanation as to why socialites drive cool cars, walk around powerful ‘ugly’ men, get chosen for high-paying commercials and are cleared at the entrance of events even without invitations?

The answer is here.