I got a bunch. 
Posted on 09/30/2006 8:41:28 AM PDT by SheLion
GRAND RAPIDS -- Spectrum Health and Saint Mary's Health Care will require all their employees to not use tobacco at any time during their work shift beginning January 1.
The staffs of both hospitals will need to arrive without smelling of smoke, and they can't use any tobacco products until they leave hospital property after their shift.
Metro Health is also joining in the Smoke-Free Work Day Every Day campaign.
In 2003, the Grand Rapids hospitals became the first in the country to jointly declare their hospital campuses smoke-free. Today, more than 30 Michigan hospitals have smoke-free campuses.
This takes it a step further.
The three hospitals are working together to help employees quit the habit between now and the first of the year. The hospitals said the main reason for making this decision was to improve patient care.
"Everyday our staff tell patients who use tobacco to quit," said Bill Rietscha, Vice President of Facilities for Spectrum Health. "We can't say that with credibility while smelling of tobacco ourselves."
Tom Karel, the Vice President of Human Resources for Saint Mary's, echoed that. "We have delivered this message to each person who walks in a door at Saint Mary's, and this is the next step in a long term effort to ensure the health of our employees, patients, visitors and our entire community."
Among the other reasons the hospitals cited were the health risks to their employees and the reduced productivity related to smoking.
Not everyone is thrilled with the plan. Midge Birdsall has worked in health care for more than 30 years. She knows smoking isn't good for her, but she said the decision to quit should be hers and hers alone.
"I'm not doing something illegal so I have a problem with them telling me how to run my lifestyle when it's not affecting my work," she said. "I'm not sure how they can tell me I can't go off campus on my break. I guess I'll find out January 1."
24 Hour News 8 talked with a local labor law attorney who said the hospitals can fire employees who disobey the rules.
It's a growing trend. In January 2005, KVCC banned smoking for all new full-time employees. Lansing-based Weyco, a company that administers health benefits, also went smoke-free. Several employees left who refused to take a test to determine if they're using tobacco.
"First, they came for the Jews; but I wasn't a Jew, so I didn't care........................
Thanks for the ping!
I've heard this one before. Someone even tried it on me once. Before I had a chance to reply, my BOSS jumped this person.
My smoke breaks are my ONLY breaks.
The crusade against tobacco puts the lie to those who say that nothing can be done about the drug problem.
..."Everyday our staff tell patients who are overweight to begin a diet and exercise program,"...
Check out the hospital "Dieticians" next time your forced to be in one. I have yet to see one that really looked healthy.
Our local hospital here in upstate NY just began a similar program, NO SMOKING ON HOSPITAL GROUNDS, PERIOD!
"Our local hospital here in upstate NY just began a similar program, NO SMOKING ON HOSPITAL GROUNDS, PERIOD!"
Our hospital did the same back in July...so now all the staff goes across the street to the local university to smoke in their parking lots...
I once solved a vexing math problem in my sleep - I had been working on it for months, and without the solution, the project would have failed.
That solution, BTW, is currently in service in three wars, defending our troops.
Just because I am standing around, or sitting under a tree, or sleeping, who are you to determine if I am working?
My time is billed for, like a lawyers - every increment on a project is billable.
Should I have billed them for the sleep time, when I solved that particular problem?
(I did not, but we had a debate about it. LOL)
Of course, if you work in retail or something, I guess you are paid to be there, not to think. Maybe that is the problem.
We all know that it has nothing to do with smoking. It's all about control.
I smoke for 2-3 minutes and get back to work. I don't blow 45 minutes sitting on my duff because it's too far to the smoking area from the break room.
I'll exit, light up, walk past the smoking area, put it out, and re-enter through the other door.
I call this, "Taking the scenic route."
And those are my only breaks.
I got a bunch.
smoke breaks??? what are those???
i'm a vicim of the "drug free school zones" :(
Well, before the smoke natzies came along, smokers had their own smoking lounges, out of site and out of the view of the population.
Now that they are forced outside, what else do you expect of them?
Yes, you are.
That's a crock!
It was on Fox News today that Congress passed a bill that all allergy pills (Sudefed, etc) have to be kept behind the pharmacy counters now and you have to show a picture ID to buy it. All because of the meth makers! They use something in these sinus pills to make meth.
A few bad apples spoiled it for the whole bunch.
I will as well. And most of the people on my ping list. All active, productive people and they smoke!
I worked once with a fat guy who didn't smoke. I smoked. He was off sick a lot. I never missed work from even having so much as a cold, and I live in northern Maine where the winters are brutal.
Ugh!
I'm sorry.
oh i'm one of those teachers you never hear about...
i do not take a lunch break, my kids are so needy i need
to stay with them through lunch
i do not take a planning period, i accompany my students
to their specials classes because of their needs
i arrive about 30 mins before most of the staff
i volunteer for duties after school so i leave later too
and i do not get "smoke breaks" :(
i guess you could say i'm pretty productive ;)
Frankly, you work too much. It pisses me off.
Oh boy! You surely are! And you must love your job to put up with the long hard hours.
My heart goes out to you.
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