Firms dock pay of obese, smokers

Washington Times ^ | 8/13/07 | Gregory Lopes

[melt]

It's discrimination, man...

[calex59]

Boy, all the money grabbing politicians going to be pissed when no one smokes and they can't milk the cig tax for big bucks. I guess they will have to put their alternate plan into use, taxing fast foods.

Just a guess but I would think someone will sue this company if they get docked for smoking or being fat. This IS discrimination at it's finest.

[Thinkin' Gal]

And 62 percent of the 135 top executives who responded to a PriceWaterhouseCooper's survey this year said their companies should require employees who show unhealthy behaviors to pay a greater share of their health care costs.

What about politically correct groups who define themselves by their unhealthy behaviors? Crickets chirping...

[AngelesCrestHighway]

What about all those fat liberals in birkenstocks that don’t work????

[CheyennePress]

>>>What about politically correct groups who define themselves by their unhealthy behaviors? Crickets chirping...<<<

Thinkin’ Gal has indeed been thinking...

[cherry]

what about homosexuals?.....they have the most dangerous and most expensive bad "habits" of all....

are they going to be docked?...

what about alcoholics?...what about people that pop pain pills constantly?...what about people that are promiscuous?....should we be checking their shorts?

[SIDENET]

Just wait another 10 years or so when the study of genetics can identify genetic factors which affect health.

Anyone with those factors will be SOL.

[Shelayne]

What about politically correct groups who define themselves by their unhealthy behaviors?

We give them a PARADE!

[RichRepublican]

What about people who sleep around?

[familyop]

Yes. Hysterectomies and AIDs cases are expensive enough.

[2ndDivisionVet]

I have no love for trial lawyers, but I would sue a firm in a New York minute if they tried to dock my wages for this!

[CometBaby]

Right now fat people are on the hit list. They have to pay for two seats on the airplanes. They are a BIG target these days (no pun intended) hehe.

I suppose that soon they will be checking your DNA to see if you have cancer based genes or diabetes genes .. and charge you more based on your *potential* risk. Some people could become uninsurable and unemployable for nothing more than their genetic code.

So what do we do about it? I know .. we pass some laws protecting lousy genes. You think we should grant them minority status? What do I say? keep your laws off my jeans!! hehe

Sorry folks .. it's late and I'm getting giddy.

[jwh_Denver]

Watch for this in the future because this will become a trend among businesses. Bottom line they are pushing for a nationalized health care system with their employees clamoring for it. Smokers, fat people, it isn’t going to end with these groups.

[feedback doctor]

Sounds like the perfect situation for an employer. Make the job as stressful as possible, then dock the worker when his blood pressure goes up.

[Paleo Conservative]

[singfreedom]

Isn’t that the truth! I can’t believe “the Constitution Police” (the ACLU) aren’t jumping on this issue with both feet! /sarcasm off

I bet the looney lefties, that are outraged by government eavesdropping on foreigners, are perfectly accepting of this outrage.

[WrightWings]

...will require workers who smoke to pay $5 out of each paycheck starting in 2009. For workers deemed obese, as much as $30 will be taken out each paycheck until they meet certain weight, cholesterol and blood pressure standards...

Interesting. Obese people could have 6 times the amount withheld. Funny, I don't remember hearing about the "evils" of being obese on the MSM.

A national tax on potato chips, I say...

[SoDak]

Just a guess but I would think someone will sue this company if they get docked for smoking or being fat. This IS discrimination at it's finest.

My company, a Fortune 500, has a surcharge in place already for workers who use tobacco. It costs an extra $30 a month for health insurance so it doesn't look like a dock, but they already are docking pay in many companies for tobacco. We had a health risk assessment this year that was voluntary and tied to a slight discount. Talk is, it'll be mandatory within two years. So far, no lawsuits, and I don't think we'll see one soon.

[DB]

You think someone else should pay for the added expenses of your unhealthy behavior? With car insurance your rate goes up with known risky behavior. Health insurance should be no different.

The real solution is take away the tax break for employer provided health insurance and let the employees take care of their own insurance/health care needs.

Health insurance through an employer has seriously distorted the entire health care industry which all came about because it isn’t taxed. A self employed person has to pay tax on their health insurance. Level the playing field and get employers out of the health care business.

[jws3sticks]

How about skinny CEO’s why have heart attacks when they have sex with their secretaries or mis a put on the golf course?

What a total joke!