The Looking-Glass Ceiling: Appearance-Based Discrimination in the Workplace

Authors

Enbar Toledano, United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

Abstract

The article examines the phenomenon of appearance-based discrimination, or "lookism," in the workplace, arguing that while physically attractive individuals often receive preferential treatment, the legal system is ill-equipped to address this form of discrimination effectively. It highlights the "what is beautiful is good" stereotype, which perpetuates advantages for attractive individuals in employment, but concludes that legal intervention is not a viable solution due to the subjective and multifaceted nature of attractiveness.

Disciplines

Civil Rights and Discrimination | Labor and Employment Law | Law

Recommended Citation

Enbar Toledano, The Looking-Glass Ceiling: Appearance-Based Discrimination in the Workplace, 19 Cardozo J. Equal Rts. & Soc. Just. 683 (2013).
Available at: https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cardozoersj/vol19/iss3/2