No fat chicks!

[zzyzzx]

N.J. casino to fire weightier waitstaff

ATLANTIC CITY (AP) — At the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, cocktail servers who have trouble squeezing into their low-cut bustiers will soon be
squeezed out — out of a job, that is.

The casino is threatening to fire servers who gain more than 7% of their
body weight, infuriating women's rights advocates, the cocktail servers'
union and others who call it discriminatory. Under the policy, announced
to employees last week, anyone who puts on too much gets an unpaid
suspension of up to 90 days to get rid of it.

If they can't, they will be fired unless they are pregnant or have a
medical condition contributing to their weight, casino officials said.

"Women should not have to starve themselves just to keep their jobs," said Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center for Women & Families, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group. "The policy places enormous stress on all the women and encourages eating disorders to reach a totally arbitrary goal."

The casino, whose edgy marketing themes and sexy accents have helped bowl over the competition since its opening in July 2003, contends there is
nothing wrong with setting weight limits for its 210 costumed beverage
servers, which include 160 Borgata Babes and 50 other male and female
bartenders.

"Our costumed beverage servers are a huge part of our marketing and our branding image," said Cassie Fireman, vice president of talent. "We're a fun, upscale, energetic and sensual environment, and these positions are a large part of that."

Borgata Babes, who wear black, low-cut designer bustiers with crossing
straps above the breasts, have become sex symbols unto themselves since the casino's debut, appearing in pinup style photographs in the casino's "Borgata Babes" calendar and representing the casino at public events.

According to Fireman, the new policy clarifies appearance standards that
were established before the casino opened — namely, that women servers
should have "natural hourglass figures" and men "V-shaped torsos, broad
shoulders and slim waists."

No weight limits were ever set, she said.

Now, new hires and incumbents are being weighed to establish a base
weight. Once that weight is established, they face punishment if they gain
more than 7% of that weight. They are weighed in uniform, without shoes.

During suspensions, the company will pay to put the offending employee
through a weight-loss program, and he or she will continue to have free
access to the casino's spa. Those who can't shed the weight after 90 days
will be dismissed, Fireman said.

Women who get pregnant or have a medical condition can remain overweight, but on the job must wear a specially designed "transitional" costume that consists of a strapless halter-style knit top and Capri-style pants, she said.

"We feel it's fair, we feel it's legal, we feel it's what our customers
have come to expect at Borgata. It's part of our brand," Fireman said.

Borgata officials, who have allowed cocktail servers to be interviewed in
the past, refused to do so Thursday. One who was asked her opinion of the weight limits declined comment.

Local 54 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union, which
represents Borgata cocktail servers, has filed a grievance over the
policy.

Former Borgata Babe Lori Allen, 36, who resigned last month amid fears
that her weight gain would get her fired, said Borgata officials talked
about weight limits long before they imposed them.

Allen, who is 6 feet tall, weighs 138 pounds — 13 more than she did when
she was hired 18 months ago. She said she takes antidepressants that have contributed to her gain.

"It's going to cause girls to binge, purge, whatever. It'll cause eating
disorders. It's already causing stress," she said.

Some gamblers don't think it's fair either.

"That's awful," said Karen DiCaprio, 41, of Philadelphia, who was sitting
at a roulette table. "So what if they gain a little weight? They're
serving drinks, they're smiling. It doesn't matter. All people are
interested in is gambling, anyway."

Steve Parr, 41, of Franklin Lakes, agreed.

"It's nice to have someone who's nice-looking come up to your table, but I
don't care. If they can them because of their weight, that's wrong."

Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women, also weighed in against the policy.
pun intended???

"At a very minimum, this is extraordinarily inappropriate because weight
is extremely individual, and apparently that's not of any interest to the
employer, but it should be. People should be healthy — we all want that,
and it's good to be at a healthy weight if that is possible. But what is a
healthy weight varies from person to person," she said.

Jocelyn Samuels, a spokeswoman for the National Women's Law Center, said the policy would be discriminatory if it applied only to women or was part of an effort to harass women or drive them out of the work force.

[BJ_M]

they have that in vegas for some jobs .. like show girls ..

no different ..

[lordsmurf]

"It's going to cause girls to binge, purge, whatever. It'll cause eating disorders. It's already causing stress," she said.

Statements like this are bullshit.

All the policy means is less candy bars, Twinkies, Ho-Ho's and Taco Bell dinners.

Fat asses.

Dunlop chicks are not any fun to look at.

[northcat_8]

My casino...my rules.

Some may call it discrimination, I call it....discrimination I guess, so what?

[BJ_M]

anyway -- it is a weight gain from a BASELINE at hiring..

[northcat_8]

Tell me the strip club does not discriminate based on a woman's body..weight, breasts, skin tightness/tone, etc, etc....

[doppletwo]

"She's probably two ton's of fun. You know that grateful type"
--Sideways

[mcbit]

We are all selected for something from the day we are born. Any one who doesn't believe that is fooling themselves!

[BJ_M]

Tell me the strip club does not discriminate based on a woman's body..weight, breasts, skin tightness/tone, etc, etc....

the ones you go to, sure don't discriminate, they don't even do a crotch grab test i bet .... :P