The Stepford Employees

The Washington Times ^ | Feb. 5, 2005 | Bob Barr

[MisterRepublican]

In last year's remake of the 1970s classic science fiction file, "The Stepford Wives," a group of techno-weirdos set out to transform imperfect women into perfect wives. Of course, the plan fails because of... well, a lot of reasons.

But the point is, the world remains as full of weirdos today seeking to create the perfect person as when Pygmalion tried many centuries ago. Now, the "Stepford Search" has come to corporate America.

Weyco Inc., a Michigan company, has decided to fire any employee who smokes. Not just any employee who smokes on the job. Any employee who smokes anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Why? To help the employees make healthful life choices and become better persons; to help the employees "manage their health care."

How does the company ensure its employees remain truly and permanently "smoke free?" Mandatory "drug" tests. If traces of the "devil weed" tobacco are found, the hapless employee who thought he or she lived in a free country — one in which a citizen could practice such horrible habits as lighting up a cigarette or cigar in the "privacy" of his or her home — is summarily fired.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the decades of my misspent youth, we harbored the illusion such menaces as nuclear war or communist invasion were the real enemies of freedom. How wrong we were. The good folks running America just four or five decades later, including the Weyco Gestapo, know the real enemy of man is not the trivial nuclear holocaust, but smoking. And they will leave no freedom unturned in their zeal to root it out wherever it might still lurk.

[ETERNAL WARMING]

The Nazis can only be in control of our lives if we allow things like this to happen. Where is the outrage? Why isn't everyone outside that business protesting? Whether you smoke or not, why would you look away because it doesn't affect you? It soon will if allowed to gain momentum.

[Dallas59]

I wouldn't work there....and won't. The current Weyco employees aren't forced to work there either.

[G.Love]

This isn't the only company with this policy. A Wall St. Journal article in December talked about this and how it's happening more often.

As a smoker, this appalls me. But I believe businesses should be able to hire and fire whomever they please for whatever reasons they want.

[ThreePuttinDude]

I retrieved this from their website. Their wordage explains everything. Damn libs strike again with their "We know whats best for you" attitude.
******************************************************

WEYCO News Release  

Background on WEYCO INC's Tobacco-Free Policy
January 25, 2005

What:	WEYCO, Inc., established a policy promoting healthier lifestyles through its lifestyles Challenge Program about five years ago. The goal of this program is to encourage employees to become healthier, and to increase their ability to accomplish more both personally and professionally.
When:	The tobacco-free policy has been an ongoing program — and part of the Lifestyle Challenge Program at WEYCO, Inc. — since fall 2003. We have assisted our employees through a series of communication and support activities, including: employee meetings introducing the program; smoking-cessation classes, medication, and appointments with acupuncturists. The policy has been implemented in gradual stages to encourage staff members who use tobacco products to become healthier and remain WEYCO, Inc., employees.
Why:	WEYCO, Inc., is in business to help other companies improve employee health and save money through innovative benefit plans. The health plans we create offer hundreds of options—and our approach to tobacco use may not be for everybody—but it's natural for us to take a leadership position on this issue. We encourage every employer to take a hard look at managing health costs related to smoking and other tobacco use. There is no longer any question about the devastating effects of tobacco use on our society, or why it must be eliminated. Tobacco is a major killer and drain on health-care resources. Michigan’s smoking-related health-care costs amount to $2.65 billion a year. Lost employee productivity due to smoking totals another $3.4 billion. Every Michigan household pays $557 in taxes for smoking-related illnesses annually. Each smoker costs his employer more than $4,000 a year in absenteeism, medical benefits, and earnings lost to sickness or premature death, etc. Smoking kills 4.9 million people worldwide each year. In Michigan, the smoking death toll is 16,000 a year—more than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides combined.
Who:	So far, our tobacco-free employee policy appears to be a resounding success. Of the 15 to 20 employees who used tobacco before the policy was announced, about a dozen have decided to stop using tobacco. Many have thanked us for initiating the program. Only three have opted-out of the program and decided to seek employment elsewhere.
How:	Any private Michigan business organization has the right to protect itself from the enormous financial damage that tobacco users inflict upon society by destroying their own health. At WEYCO, Inc., we are taking a leadership role in changing employee behavior to save lives, improve health, and reduce demand on the health-care system. WEYCO, Inc., encourages healthy lifestyles. We created and use walking trails on our campus, and have a full-time lifestyle coach to implement our wellness program. We sponsor voluntary on-site programs for employees to attend during the workday on topics such as eating disorders, healthy meal planning, safety, and others.
Contact:	Howard Weyers, President or Gary Climes, Chief Financial Officer WEYCO, Inc. 517-349-7010 Joanne Eason, APR Stony Point Communications 517-347-9040/517-285-0489 (cell)

[BipolarBob]

The apathy exhibited by the free marketers only encourages this kind of abuse by employers. They don't realize what kind of world they are handing down to their progeny (or don't care). This is short-sighted and idealistic, but they say it's not happening to me. Well jobs don't grow on trees and if you have a profession you love and ALL the employers come up with this nutty policy then maybe they will get it. And I'm an non-smoker BTW.

[rawhide]

'As a smoker, this appalls me. But I believe businesses should be able to hire and fire whomever they please for whatever reasons they want.'

Why can't they grandfather the old workers into the new anti-smoking policy, which was not there when they first were hired? It seems to me that a lot of older workers in their 50's could file discinminaton lawsuits and win big, if they are canned over a change in the policy such as this.

[Siamese Princess]

The company's argument would be: "We provide health care, etc." No they don't. The health insurance money is taken out of your paycheck even before you see your paycheck. The company may also claim that a large number of seriously ill employees will drive up insurance premiums.

The ill effects of smoking rack up the bills, but so does obesity, drinking and homosexuality.

[G.Love]

If I were on the jury, I'd side with the company. They should be free to come up with any nutty policy they see fit to implement.

I'd rather see them punished by the market than by litigation.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

But I believe businesses should be able to hire and fire whomever they please for whatever reasons they want.

Oh really? How about if your boss doesn't like the girl you are dating? How about if your boss doesn't like your choice of vehicles?

Complete and total freedom is to be allowed to an employer while the employee lives under tyranny?

You are wrong...completely wrong. I had to tell a young, tyrannical son-of-a-bitch supervisor he couldn't talk rudely and disrespectfully to people as he did. He thought, because he was a boss, he could treat people like dirt.

In your world, people end up bringing a 12-gauge shotgun to work to resolve their issues with the boss.

[EVO X]

Where is the outrage? Why isn't everyone outside that business protesting?

With rising health insurance costs, I can see more employer mandated edicts coming our way.

[rawhide]

So if a company wanted to get rid of older worker because health costs are higher for them, any nutty policy to accomplish this is okay with you? You are talking about destroying lives and families when you start instituting changes like this, especially when the person is in the later years of his life. The job opportunities are not out there for them as they are the for the younger ones.
And what next, weight tests for all employees, and if they are overweight, they must lose the poundage with a set number of months, or they too will be fired?
What next after that, looking at a person medical history to weed out the ones who cost you more for health costs?
What next, looking into a person's family history for medical problems that may eventually hit your employee? Better to fire them now, then to be saddled with those medical costs at a latter date.
I am sure that the owner of this company has no bad habits and is a perfect human being in every regard, but why should he have the right to make his employees, especially the ones you hired years ago, behave the way you think they should now, especially when they are not at work? These employees are not robots and this jerk of an owner thinks they should be, based on his narrow world he lives in.

[billybudd]

The point is, if a company's managers are as irrational as you say they are, the company won't be around for very long. Natural selection and such. Obviously Weyco has some reason for this policy, either for image or whatever. But they're a private enterprise and last time I checked we have freedom of association. You don't have the right to force a private entity to associate with you or anyone else.

[tiamat]

Yes.

And bosses like the one you had to talk to are part of what causes unions.

I'm no fan of unions, but they have happened for a reason...

(Good on you, to take the little puke down a notch or three, BTW!)

[G.Love]

Oh really? How about if your boss doesn't like the girl you are dating? How about if your boss doesn't like your choice of vehicles?

Yes. Even if my boss doesn't like my eye color. I didn't say I liked the policy. Only that I support their right to make whatever policy they wish. The employees don't have to live under tyranny. They can work elsewhere.

[goldstategop]

The Left's "soft totalitarianism" is as frightening as communism. Our freedoms must be eliminated for our own good because the Commissars Of Government and Industry have decreed it as necessary for the common good. We are children who need to be looked after. Our private and most intimate choices are the business of bureaucrats and bosses alike.

Denny Crane: There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."

[Bahbah]

There is no longer any question about the devastating effects of tobacco use on our society, or why it must be eliminated.

This statement seems to go somewhat beyond their "concern" for their own employees and their health and health care costs. What if this paternalistic company decides that Republican ideas and programs are not good for society?

[em2vn]

How many times is this thing going to be posted on FR?

[EVO X]

And what next, weight tests for all employees, and if they are overweight, they must lose the poundage with a set number of months, or they too will be fired?

The Navy had such a program when I left in the early 80's. I would imagine they still have a weight control policy today.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

The employees don't have to live under tyranny. They can work elsewhere.

Oh really? Have you looked for a job when you are over 50 years of age?

Have you ever worked for a place to the point you are almost vested in benefits and the rules suddenly change?

You people don't live in the real world and neither do tyrants like this guy.