[Dan from Michigan]

I think the policy sucks(and I almost never smoke cigarettes), but it is a private company and they have right to dictate their own so I defend it on that basis.

If it's big government, then it's another story.

[ShadowDancer]

but it is a private company and they have right to dictate their own so I defend it on that basis

They can make it firing material to smoke on the job. They cannot make it firing material to smoke at home. It is a legal substance. The health care 'issue' is garbage. If this is taken to court it will be shot down in a minute.

[Cowboy Bob]

I wonder what would happen if he fired gay employees for what they did in the privacy of their own homes?

[Born to Conserve]

Smoking sucks. At the university I was attending, they banned all indoor smoking. So then the smokers (zillions of them) all congregated at the entrances. Due to terrorism security precautions, there are only one or two entrances per building, some pretty big and busy buildings. They installed truly massive receptacles to try to deal with the littered butts. Have you ever seen a three foot tall chimney shaped ashtray catch on fire? Dark brown smoke billows out and literally knocks people to the ground! These things filled and caught on fire faster than they could empty them. The natural response of many was to pour a soda into the opening. That resulted in a scummy burnt butt extract flowing across the paths through the doors. It really seemed like the smokers enjoyed forming a gauntlet of smoke and glares and hate. The university now has a policy that smokers must stay at least 100 feet from all entrances. It used to be that you would find your way through the interconnected building to avoid the rain, but now there are so many people smoking on the "public" walkways, parks and streets, you have to transit the indoor maze to avoid them. So much for being public. If you don't smoke you're not welcome.

I've had enough. I do not tolerate ANY smokers. I don't feel sorry for them. I am vocal in pointing out the litter and pollution and costs that everyone has to bare. I push for controls with every authority I can. There are 'nice' smokers to be sure, but they have failed to influence their co-smokers, so that task has fallen to non-smokers.

Smokers, you're screwed. Higher tobacco taxes, yeah! Smoking banes and tests, yeah! Even on Ebay, you may notice many sellers point out that their products are from smoke free environments! Evidently they get higher prices for In polluted items. Hah! Take that! You are a smaller and smaller voting block. Your influence is waning.

You littering hacking smoking losers are reaping as a group what you have sown as a group.

Quit or be damned.

Ha!

[atomicweeder]

Can I fire my gay employees who engage in unprotected rectal sex, get HIV, and drive up my health care costs?

Oh, and before you ask "How do you know?" . . . They BRAG about their anonymous sex parties.

[hushpad]

"That is absolutely a victory," Climes said<<

You have (some sort) of victory for now Mr. Climes. Let's hope there are no fat folks in your family - they are the next group being set up for the second-class citizen treament.

[justt bloomin]

Breaking News from the AP:

Maxico Inc., of Telebunkeport, IA, just recently passed a policy that enstates the just firing of anyone who brings their own lunch from home.

"It's just not right," said employer Dick Parvus.

</sarcasm>

[Centurion2000]

The company instituted a policy on Jan. 1 that makes it a firing offense to smoke

Those smokers are about to get rich.

[RightWinger]

This is a slippery slope.

What's next, the kind of food you can and can't eat?
How much over weight can you be?
How much body-fat can you have?
Who can your sexual partners be?
Should you be fired for getting a speeding ticket?

The list can go on and on.
The company rents you for 40 hrs a week, they shouldn't own you.

[shellshocked]

Americans With Disabilities Act.

[Lancer_N3502A]

This company is going to get smoked in court so bad. Pun intended.

[Junior]

What next? Mandatory cholesterol checks and body fat determinations? Will a high resting pulse get you fired?

[microgood]

These must be menial jobs where an employee can easily replaced. In the software world, for example, where specialized skills are required, this would never happen. The next thing that will happen is that these jobs will be outsourced to India.

[TheRightGuy]

it is a private company and they have right to dictate their own

Let's pretend, just for the moment, that the company wanted to administer tests to detrermine if employees engaged in homosexual behavior (on their own time)... and the company had issued a ban on it because it leads to higher health care costs?

I'll bet the business owner would be called out and branded as a world-class bigot!

[nmh]

"even if done after business hours or at home, the Lansing State Journal reported Monday."

AFTER business hours? That's of line.

For lunch they should also be allowed to smoke outside the facility.

This is crazy!

[metesky]

I agree. Property rights are property rights.

[BobS]

A $400 Billion lawsuit against this company will be just correct.

[WASH]

One third of the DOD personnel smoke cigarettes.

Should the DOD as an employer ban all cigarette smoking?

Should we as taxpayers,paying for the health care costs of DOD smokers, demand that the DOD impose such a ban as a cost saving measure?

[Doohickey]

http://www.weyco.com/web/company/news/

Guess they're already feeling the heat. Try the link on their news page.

[GloriaJane]

Wonder if he will start testing people to see how much they eat when they're away from work? And will they be fired if they are shown to be eating something that will cause them to become over weight? Since obesity seems to be the leading cause of health problems these days.

[P.O.E.]

Used to be you couldn't even get into the country if you had health problems.