Company Fires All Employees Who Smoke

WRAL.com ^ | 01-25-05 | WestVirginiaRebel

[WestVirginiaRebel]

LANSING, Mich.-Four employees of a health care company have been fired for refusing to take a test to determine whether they smoke cigarettes.

Weyco Inc., a health benefits administrator based in Okemos, Mich., adopted a policy Jan. 1 that allows employees to be fired if they smoke, even if the smoking happens after business hours at home.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

There's a way for people to be one hundred per cent healthy, with no illness or disease.

It's called nonexistence.

[gubamyster]

You're going to love this one.

[RetiredArmy]

Dead.

[mnehring]

So,
What if this test gives a false reading because the person visits smoke filled environments, even if they don't smoke.
Also,
Do they count cigars or pipes as smoking?

[k2blader]

It's a private company. There is nothing wrong with this.

[Bacon Man]

Yea but just try to prove to someone that you don't exist. I've never been able to pull it off.

[Lexington Green]

Only slaves will submit to such tyranny ....

[odoso]

Good point! I know a guy who second-hand smokes 2 packs a day...

[Tamar1973]

Hey, at least the company will be able to keep its healthcare costs down. Cancer, emphysema, etc are expensive diseases to treat.

[SAR]

Let's see what happens when they fire the fat people who don't lose weight. No, wait, that will never happen. Nevermind.

[randog]

Great idea! Now they ought to go after those that engage in risky sex (gay men), those that are fat, those that engage in risky sports like mountain climbing, skiing, etc.

[MisterRepublican]

"Company founder Howard Weyers has said the anti-smoking rule was designed to shield the firm from high health care costs. "I don't want to pay for the results of smoking," he said."

Imagine if he had used the same logic (high health care costs) to fire homosexuals. I wonder how much HIV/AIDS and other diseases, which affect homosexuals at higher rates than heterosexuals, increase the cost of health care.

[RetiredArmy]

But, you know, no matter how many people scream, kick and throw a fit, in the end only one thing matters. This company belongs to someone. That "someone" has the right, as owner and money maker of said company, to set rules, regulations and policy for the employees he/she hires. Of course, the law says you cannot discriminate, but it says because of race, color, religion, origin, etc. It says nothing about smoking, liking NASCAR, hating football, being a runner, playing poker, etc. So, if the owner determines that he does not want smokers on his payroll, it is his company and he can make those decisions. You may not like it, but you can go work somewhere else then. You have that choice, to work some where else. He has the right to expect lower medical costs, fewer health issues, etc., because he does not employ smokers. He can do that with his overweights also. Until that is the democrats get overweight officially listed as a "disease." Then he can't. But, since the democrats hate smoking and only like smoking because it has more victims, thus can sue the big tobacco companies for billions (their trial lawyer mafia that is), then they probably are going to get in a snit over it and some trial lawyer will represent these people in a class action suit and sue the company into bankruptcy.

[rockabyebaby]

Where's the ACLU on this? Where do we draw the line?? Smoking, drinking, eating? What next? Sex?

[YOUGOTIT]

I think they should fire all people who are democrats. Or who support the ACLU. If they want to have smoke free employees there is nothing wrong with it. As long as others can hire and fire who they want as long as it is not race related.

[Mears]

It's a private company that would be brought before the courts if it fired an employee with AIDS.Is that okay with you?

It's a company that would be brought before the courts if it fired an obese employee. Is that okay with you?

Where does it end?

[eclectic]

Smoke-nazis strike

[Modernman]

Where's the ACLU on this? Where do we draw the line?? Smoking, drinking, eating? What next? Sex?

An employer could legally fire you for smoking, drinking, eating fatty foods or even engaging in sex.

[Grendel9]

I thought sex on the job went out with Clinton

[Phantom Lord]

Yea but just try to prove to someone that you don't exist. I've never been able to pull it off.

Its even harder to prove you do exist to the DMV if you don't have a birth certificate.