"Are they going to fire people who drink too much? Are overweight? Eat too much junk food? Race motorcycles on the weekend?"
Yes, this has all either happened or will happen in the Orwellian world that has arrived.
And those freepers defending this policy...you will be next....hmmmm....fired for being a republican....hey its the right of the business to do that...isn't it?
Yes, it is Orwellian. Up is down, right is wrong, black is white.
Wait until they do genetic testing. Got a predisposition for heart disease? Cancer? Mental illness? Good luck getting a job, or at least a job with any health benefits. Off to the shower rooms with you!
Inappropriate label and comparison. Orwell's 1984 had to do with government. This is a private employer that wishes to set certain criteria on who will be hired vs who will not be hired, absent government interference. Any true conservative should support any employer who choses not to employ smokers.
My first reaction was that this was outrageous.
Then as I read through the comments, I realized that my reaction was wrong if you believe in freedom. Maybe they handled it badly because it wasn't clear they didn't hire smokers, but shouldn't the employer have the right to hire only those he wants to hire -- for any reason, no matter how ridiculous or how discriminatory others might perceive that decision?
Whose job is it anyway? The worker's or the employer's?