Woman applies for Subway job, appalled to be asked for height and weight, gets ‘rude reply’

“I myself have experience working in the F&B industry, e.g. McDonald’s and KFC and in fact, they have never asked about height and weight, which I truly believe is a little too personal and has nothing to do with the job. Asking for the shirt size is good enough.

“Also, look at the reply – it seems rude. I believe Subway wants their workers to be courteous to customers, but why is the one handling this recruitment not doing the same thing?”

In response to a Stomp query, a Subway spokesman said the outlet is owned and operated by a franchisee.

“Subway is a brand for everyone, and we stand against discrimination. We expect all HR and hiring practices to reflect Subway values and comply with Ministry of Manpower (MOM) laws,” he added.

The spokesman said the incident “does not represent Subway’s standards, noting that such questions are not part of standard operating procedures.

The company had contacted the franchisee on the day it was alerted to the incident by Stomp and provided coaching accordingly.

According to the spokesman, the franchisee had “acted of his own accord” when he asked about the applicant’s height and weight due to “limited space” in the restaurant. However, he was “misguided in his questions” and has since acknowledged his mistake. The franchisee was also advised that it is not appropriate to make hiring decisions based on a person’s size.

“We apologise for what happened and will ensure that such incidents will not occur again,” the spokesman added.

The spokesman also told Stomp that the job seeker is welcome to get in touch for roles at other Subway outlets.

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