Steve Williams, head of equality services at employment relations group Acas, said that employers are always expected to consider candidates on their abilities and not other factors.
His comments came after a poll of 227 bosses by Slimming World magazine found that one in four male managers would consider turning an applicant down because of their weight.
The survey also found that one-tenth of respondents have already discriminated against candidates on the basis of their appearance.
Mr Williams said: 'We would always urge employers to judge on skills and abilities alone and not make assumptions.'
Recent research by studentgems.com found that 61 per cent of managing directors believe relevant experience is more important than a university degree when determining a candidate's suitability for a job.
His comments came after a poll of 227 bosses by Slimming World magazine found that one in four male managers would consider turning an applicant down because of their weight.
The survey also found that one-tenth of respondents have already discriminated against candidates on the basis of their appearance.
Mr Williams said: 'We would always urge employers to judge on skills and abilities alone and not make assumptions.'
Recent research by studentgems.com found that 61 per cent of managing directors believe relevant experience is more important than a university degree when determining a candidate's suitability for a job.
