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“WEIGHT WATCHERS: Are women employees willing to settle for less with companies profits in the millions?”
~ Cynthia G. Creel
The young women sat across from me hoping she would get a position. I had one rule to follow that the person who was going to represent me had to have their heart and soul in their job, not perfection just always doing their best at that moment. The minute they had mentally moved on was the moment I had to look for someone new.
The rule I always follow was to be fair to the ones who worked for me, mostly young women, not much younger than myself since I was only 21, leading a small group to offer superior service to the customer, offer the maximum to the people who worked for me and maintain a profit so all could work together with it being a win, win, win situation.
I just knew that I didn’t like being shorted myself, why would anyone else. The most common reason for leaving, not because of the company, just the hours were too varied being tied to other peoples celebrations wanting someone to sing a special song for the honored guest could mean anytime between 6 am and 11 pm. A delight in most ways and taxing in many other that many could not handle on the long run. I was the only one that worked no matter what every single person had the right to say no without penalty, except a lost chance to earn money. This worked for over 25 years until I became unhealthy changing everything so the company is now only a memory and no longer in existence.
I have looked at many companies and wondered how people could live with the choices they make and it seems it all comes down to how much money a person is willing to exchange for their time. I have focused my studies and life around how to become healthy, not just thin. When I was so unhealthy and about to die I decide I had to change I did not even conceder any of the companies in the business of weightless because they just wanted me thin and my goal was to be healthy. Besides by the time I needed to truly change to live there was no $42.95 a month to spend, that money would be needed to buy quality, after all it wasn’t just about me, it was my brother who had been just diagnosed with type one diabetes, my better half with dangerously high blood pressure, me with chest pains and really awful blood work supporting the likelihood of death sooner than later and two lovely daughters that looked healthy on the outside yet rusting on the inside only projecting youth and health because of their age.
So as many of my friends counted points, I spent about 4,000 hours learning more and more each day. The conclusion many of the companies were taking advantage of people who where unhealthy seems to be true with new reports of the actions of the company, the employees and the customers.
The New York Times (1) reports many facts that indicate this could be true. The facts are what is happening should have never happened to begin with, a common situations where the CEO is making millions, the company is making millions, the lowest level workers doing the grunt work are being paid almost nothing and the customer is being taken care of to a level they are happy with, but maybe lacking in the best goals for the person to obtain. Yes, we get what we pay for so, maybe they are being taken care of as well as can be expected with the money paid for services rendered.
New York times (1) tells of mostly women expected to be professionals and yet make less then a kid working at Mc Donald’s. The company had a decline in earnings last year of about 15%, yet that is deceptive in the fact that they still brought in $1.83 billion with an income of $257.4 million plus the company’s chief executive, David Kirchhoff , who made $2.96 million in 2011 as reported by Forbes magazine (2) While a reported income for one female worker last year leading four meetings a week in Wichita Falls, Tex being paid just $7,600 last year. Is the only reason Kirchhoff saying employees are top priority and offering on line discussions with 80 employees because of the public being aware of the situation. Or was it the past experience of having to pay out over $6 million after a class action lawsuit in California was settled due to how the employees were being treated unfairly including minimum wage violations, clear understanding of how a person was being paid or working off the clock.
Weight Watchers might not be the only one who do not serve this country well with their business practices there are pending lawsuits with other companies like Jenny Craig’s in New York State claiming that the work typically lasted through lunch hours that did not include pay. The company denies the claim as reported by New York Times. (1)
All of what has been reported by the New York times and what I have observed has led me to some interesting thoughts of a much larger picture. When people become unhealthy and gain weight they could be like the reports of the Marshall University 2005 paper written on The effects of Childhood Obesity on Self-Esteem by Heather L. Paxton (4). The paper stating if needs are satisfied the person has feeling of being valuable and self confident in the world. However when esteem needs are not met the person feels weak, helpless, inferior and sometimes worthless. With low self esteem being associated with depression and suicidal ideas or other difficulties like loneliness compared to high self esteem influencing successes to qualities there is an affect on behavior and understanding of how the world works and how the person fits in to it. In 1994 the findings that attractive people have a distinct advantages in our society helping with their success while those who were obese endured negative actions like teasing, harsh treatment and rejection. Even from 1960’s researchers discovered a over weight child was least desirable. It was also found that obese children dealing with the impact on self esteem tend to feel as if there is no control in life including success affecting every thing from relationships to the ability to set and work towards goals including both school or work. Women and men were both affected. Women in particular who were overweight as an adolescents were affected as an adult leaving them with less education, higher poverty rate and more often single compared to an average weight peers. Bringing the researchers with the conclusion children suffering from obesity have negative affects not only in early years but also as an adult compared to their average BMI (Body Mass Index) peers which included lower self esteem, with an impact lasting their whole life.
As a company who is focusing on people who are over weight, I would assume there would be a psychological impact in favor of the company that if that person was willing to work for a company that helped them to loose weight they had not been able to on their own that they would be more likely to accept a less desirable compensation for a position with that companies.
If a company was only willing to set a true goal of profits then there most likely would be little considerations of the mind set of the people. After all most people, I am sure, are willing to pay each month to loose weight because they have not been successful in loosing the weight on their own. If the people within the company have lost their weight and become healthier there might be more likely not to accept what is being done to them and file a law suite.
One of the fact after I lost my almost 40 pounds is it took almost a year for me to stop thinking of myself as a fat person and to realize I was worth the effort and attention received by others and myself so I could be more effective in helping others to help themselves. That if I was successful, I deserved credit, just like anyone else who earned it.
So my question to you is Weight Watchers treating their employees fairly, with fair pay for fair work or have they taken advantage of a select populations that is most likely have a lower self esteem then the average weight counter parts? Would this give the company the advantage of manipulation in order to have people that were satisfied with low pay while the company was making millions including the head of the company personally making millions.
Secondly beyond the companies treatment of employees were they doing the best for their customers using a point system that I view only adequate to help some to loose weight without the consideration of the recommendations and the full impact on the body? The customer is getting what they are paying for just a way to loose weight with the heaviest consideration on the bottom line?
Yes, there are companies who want to help, just keep in mind is the company putting your needs and the employee’s needs below the bottom line? It is good to be proactive in life to make sure what is being paid for is truly a benefit for all. Believing the advertising without the research of how or why can leave a person with a shallow gain looking pretty on the outside and yet still rusting on the inside.
Ultimately, if a program gets you closer to being self correcting, in the long run it is a positive. However if it gives the idea that you are doing great and no longer need to change could lead to not becoming the person you should have always been and the possibility of being thin, yet unhealthy with the possible lost of years of life, happiness and peace within. The truth is we vote with our money what is acceptable, if we were not willing to pay for something that is inferior it would not last on the market place. Reward those companies who provide fair treatment to employees and customers while making money send a message to the others with less dollars spent.
The path of True Health is only interested in the creation of heath and becoming who you were meant to be. A world filled with 80% of the people on the True Health path would be a different world indeed. I often wonder how much success could be created in happiness and inner peace as a result of having the right goals.
By Design ~ “Life is good By Design”
Photo by Cynthia G. Creel all rights reserved ©2013
Daffodils just doing what they do best being sunshine yellow making people smile and the bees happy for some pollen and nectar.
2-26-2013
all rights reserved ©2013 written permission is needed to duplicate
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of By Design or Cynthia G. Creel. Consultation of a medical professional is highly recommended before any changes are considered.
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Source:
(1) http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/business/devoted-to-weight-watchers-but-workers-rebel-against-low-wages.html
(2) http://www.forbes.com/profile/david-kirchhoff/
(3) http://yahoo.brand.edgar-online.com/displayfilinginfo.aspx?FilingID=9081946-38858- (then click on the first line that says income statement to see the form)
(4) http://mds.marshall.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1147&context=etd
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