A recent survey proves that the workplace really isn’t that much different from our immature, adolescent days in high school. There’s an indelible link between attractiveness and popularity in schools, and a new study finds that attractiveness has a link to bullying in the workplace as well, Politix reports.
The study, was conducted by Michigan State University, found that workers who are perceived as unattractive are more likely to be targeted and picked on.
The survey queried 114 workers at a health care center in the Southeast. The portraits of the participants were examined by strangers to determine which workers fell under the “attractive” or “unattractive” category. The results were then paired with worker surveys that asked how often they were on the receiving end of cruel behavior.
The results concluded that workers that are deemed unattractive are treated with more hostility than their attractive counterparts. Even when other factors such as age, gender, and tenure were examined, attractiveness still took the lead as the most significant correlation with bullying.
“Although we like to think we’re professional and mature in the workplace, it can be just like high school in many ways,” said Brent Scott, the principal investigator of the study.
The researchers also explored how personality affected the promotion of bullying. The survey found that those who were considered to be disagreeable and less friendly are more likely to be greeted with animosity from co-workers.
Does this ugly finding match what you’ve seen at your job?