Woman Claims Company Rejected Her For Being 'Too Fair'

A LinkedIn user has narrated an eye-brow-raising ordeal on the professional social media platform, claiming that she was allegedly rejected by a company because of her "fair complexion." While some are speculating that the post might be a publicity stunt, the authenticity of the claim has yet to be confirmed.

A Linkedin user named Pratiksha Jichkar, a Bengaluru-based recruitment professional, shared the entire ordeal of her alleged rejection online. She explained that she was rejected in the final round of interviews because of her fair skin tone. She shared a screenshot of the rejection email that she received from the company.

Woman Denied Job Due To Fair Complexion

She claimed that after three rounds of interviews and one assignment, she was rejected because of her fair skin tone despite having the relevant skills, qualifications, and experience for the job.

The screenshot didn’t disclose the company’s name. The company thanked her for interviewing with them but stated they would not be able to move forward with her in this role.

It further read that the company found her profile relevant and all skills and qualifications matched their expectations; however, since they were an inclusive organisation and believe in equal opportunity, they felt that her skin tone was a "little fair for the current team". They added that they didn’t want any differences in their internal team, and they decided not to offer her the job.

The post has gone viral and gained significant attention on all social media platforms. While some users found it hard to believe the letter was true, adding that it was probably a publicity stunt. Some netizens said that even if this was real, no company would mention it in the rejection email.

The comment section on the LinkedIn post is currently turned off, and there is no proof to substantiate the authenticity of the email.

If The Claims Are True, Isn't This Unfair?

However, if this was really the case and she was indeed rejected just because of her fair complexion, it is definitely unfair. If this rejection letter is truly authentic, how ironic is it for a company to reject a candidate based on her skin tone while claiming to be inclusive? Moreover, the company states they aim to provide equal opportunity for all, so how can she be denied the "equal opportunity" to work despite possessing all the necessary skills and qualifications?

Doesn’t it come across as racist to distinguish someone based on their skin colour and deny them an opportunity to work? Again, if this were a genuine case, the audacity of the company to point out her skin complexion as the reason for denying her the job is ridiculous.

This reminded me of a recent Malayalam film, debutant transgender director Shruthi Sharanyam's B 32 Muthal 44 Vare, which won the Kerala State Award. One of the characters in the movie is a woman working for a corporate company. She works in the hospitality sector and has "small breasts," according to the company’s standards. Hence, her job status looks uncertain because she "lacks aesthetic beauty."

Women being discriminated based on their physical appearance in workplaces is a saddening and concerning issue in society.

Women have been getting rejected for not being fair enough, tall enough, slim enough, attractive enough, and so on and so forth. Finding a job as a woman, despite appearance, marital status, age, motherhood, etc., is itself a huge challenge.

Sustaining that job and climbing the corporate ladder in a male-dominated society can be taxing for many women. But when is this scenario going to change? When are women going to be given equal opportunity to work, have their qualifications, talents, and skills recognised, and be paid equally without any bias?

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Views expressed by the author are their own