Jenny Craig is defending itself against a human rights complaint from an overweight B.C. woman who says she was denied a job because of her size.
In a letter to CTV News, the diet company says that Lora Bertuccio was one of more than 10 applicants for a consultant position at the Langley location.
"At no time was Ms. Bertuccio disqualified from the position on the basis of her weight. Ms. Bertuccio simply was not hired because there was an applicant who was more qualified for the position," Canadian business manager Elizabeth Frank wrote in the letter.
Bertuccio, a resident of White Rock, has filed a discrimination complaint against Jenny Craig with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.
She told CTV News earlier this week that she has struggled with her weight since childhood, and would love to lose 100 lbs.
She applied for the Jenny Craig job in October, believing that her experience working as a professional make-up artist would make her the perfect candidate for the job.
Bertuccio says she was told during a phone interview that she was an excellent candidate and that her size would not be a problem, but the mood changed when she arrived for an in-person interview.
Bertuccio says that when she revealed past injuries suffered during weight-loss attempts, the interviewer doubted her ability to lose weight successfully with Jenny Craig.
She didn't get the job, and believes that her weight was the deciding factor.
"The first thing that went through my head was just extreme pain and hurt -- just embarrassment," Bertuccio said.
"I thought that if anybody was going to be supportive of me, they [Jenny Craig] would."
But the company says it has a strict policy against discrimination, and chose the job candidate with the best experience and references.
