Don't weigh your female employees

Local restaurant owner Bobby George — famous for allegedly not hiring Black people, breaking Covid safety rules, and instituting a "Last Supper" boycott of the Olympics in his restaurants — has been charged with nine counts of rape, attempted murder, and kidnapping. The allegations are horrific, and if convicted he'll likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

In reading about his criminal case, something about how he allegedly runs his restaurants caught my attention. Allegedly, he weighs females as a condition of employment and won't hire any who don't fit his "look" — skinny and able to fit into an extra-small t-shirt.

Weighing females as condition of working in your business is illegal. It discriminates on the basis of sex and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. It creates a toxic work environment where employees feel judged by their physical appearance rather than their skills and contributions. It's also just plain demeaning and cruel.

We need to foster workplaces that prioritize talent, respect individuality, and build a culture of trust, not one based on looks and appearance. Respect, however, appears to be a word that's not part of Bobby George's vocabulary.