Comments on: Does Refusing to Hire Smokers Amount to “Discrimination”?

By: Barbara

Barbara — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:31:03 +0000

Total discrimination and harrassment!!! I have not smoked a tobacco cigarette in 1 1/2 years, but because I use an electric cigarette and it has nicotine I cannot get a good job!! Why don’t they focus more on alcohol? Oh yea, I forgot, alcohol is acceptable and smoking is not. Alcohol kills people too. So does obesity, but yet these people have no problems getting jobs. What I do on my own time is my business, not a company I work for. This country is going to hell!! We have no freedom anymore. If you are going to test for nicotine in somebody’s system they should check for alcohol also. I thought everybody was supposed to be treated equal in this country?? Total discrimination and should be illegal!! If nothing else, these companies should make the employees carry their own insurance if they are so worried about their healthcare costs!!!

By: James

James — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:49:01 +0000

Verhoven, you are misled to think that the government has made a policy or rules that speak of this kind of discrimination or ethic.
It is the corporation righting rules into people’s lives because they can when you sign their terms of agreement.
What happens if you disagree…
No Job
This is a tragedy, how can we tell another person how to live their lives. This isn’t government, it is a corporate citizen enslaving us to their terms.
WAKE UP
And get off your blind rocking chair as you go to sleep, dreaming of the day when you could go ride your bike in the street. Nope can’t do that anymore to risky, if I do my company will fire me…
This gross abuse is close at hand and just because people think government is bad. Government is the only thing that can protect you against this malfeasance.
Wake up
The bell is ringing, its your mother. Don’t ruin her government, she needs it to live.

By: Smoker rights

Smoker rights — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:22:13 +0000

What next? Are we not going to hire fat people too, or fire them if they have a job that requires them to sit on their butt all day and therefore they become fat while on the job. Fat people are Also a health risk to companies whether you are working at a desk or out in the community. so every time a ft person has to eat something at his desk and let’s the phone ring more than once before answering it because he/she is swallowing their twix bar or soda is that not taking time away from the company. My company tells the reps you have to answer the phone on the first ring. Hard to do if you are stuffing your face or in the bathroom every half an hour because you are obese. Come on people get real!!! Most companies allow break times and that’s when people that smoke… Smoke. If you aren’t a smoker that doesn’t mean you can’t step away from your desk to take a breather. If you don’t feel like breathing in the smoke, and your Jo has a smoking area, then stay the heck away from it. I think it’s discrimination. Yes smoking is a choice but so is eating to much until you can’t see your feet when standing up. That doesn’t mean at a job application for a customer service position you tell a fat person well sorry you are overweight and we don’t hire fat people. I had a company one time ask me if I was a smoker. I said yes and they said well thanks for your time but we don’t hire smokers. After letting the employer have an earful, well let’s just say I hope that they checked every little thing in their office for hocked up mucus. Lol. It’s not right… What they should have said was well this is a smoke free environment so if you are interested in the position you will need to look into quitting, not we don’t hire smokers.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 04:27:50 +0000

To put a definitive end to this:

Unless you’re a protected class like disabled, veteran, etc etc then an employer is allowed to discriminate in their hiring practices as much as they want.

Smokers are not a protected class. “Equal opportunity” doesn’t apply. Don’t like it: find somewhere else to work.

Fin.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 04:26:55 +0000

Maybe they don’t like you because you come back from every break smelling like a Febreeze factory that has exploded while a lotion factory also exploded?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 04:21:34 +0000

Uh no. Smokers cost employers more for insurance and that means EVERYONE pays more.

By: bob stinnett

bob stinnett — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:22:39 +0000

I can understand some industries or positions where smoking should not be allowed, but firing someone for what they do at home or away from work that is a legal act? And furthermore has no impairing effects on performance! DANGER,DANGER…

By: James S

James S — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:30:40 +0000

Due to the employers market they can do what they want for the most part. Upon saying that Discrimination is the same no matter how you look at it. I was told today that I could not apply for a job because I smoke. According to the hr manager it was due to a state law on which i am having her e-mail all info on. An employer should not be considered an equil opertunity employer if they will not consider a smoker for a position. Also on the breaks everyone is entitled to breaks so i dont see the diferance if i use mine to smoke or sit in a break room and get fat. I realize that it may cost the employer more to insure a smoker over a non but maybe they should look at situational insurance in which the cost is determined by the overall health of the person instead of the group they fall into. I know we are a society that follows the masses and the only way something like this is going to get changed is eather we smokers fight together.

By: al

al — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:21:09 +0000

it is not an employers right to discriminate against a smoker. Maybe if you are hitler, but not if you have any MORAL scrupels will you do such a thing…most companies and buisnesses are greedy, treat their help like dogs and slaves and oppress them with all the self rightous arrogant rules for the employers benefit of course and most of their concerns and actions stemming around smokers is only for their finacial benefits concerning deductions in premiums, ins. reasons for themselves of course, whom are you trying to kid anyways????

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:52:43 +0000

Thank u my friend what is our world coming too? Are we really this ignorant and going to allow workplaces and government to tell us all what we can or cannot do? does andyone remember the NAZIs????? Now with this smoking thing what will happen is in 100 years everyone will have to take a DNA test to see what you are predispositioned to have as far as cancers, heart disease, mental illness what so have you and then you wont be hired on that basis because you are prone to this or that? Why cant we just fricken work, fix our government, stop wearing our emotions and feelings on our sleeves and pull ourselves up by the big boy pants and WORK! Life is too damn short to be worried about this crap. Do you all really think your going to live forever? Jeez ppl get a damn grip. I hope we dont hire any more fat asses, diabetics, cancer patients, ex smokers, etc, oh yeah thats right at some point we all may have one of these issues and guess what if you agree with the smoking ban then you have to agree with being fired when you have diabetes weigh 400lbs and have breast cancer. All because you cost the company too much for insurance and some clueless manager who sits behind their desk and car seat for more hours than you work and who is more prone to heart disease frrom sitting on their ass is going to fire you and tell u have a good day! Can we not see the slippery slope we are playing with here cmon man!! people wake the hell up and mind your own damn businesses. This all is getting to be too much, is this what we want our society to be??? people had better start waking up or you will wake up when the nanny govt wakes u up or your overseeing boss with their camera in your house to make sure you follow all rules havent we seen the movies on this guys and gals???? WAKE UP PEOPLE! do you want to control your life or someone else? by majority of this thread sounds like people want to be told what to do instead of just being truly free! this is all about money, insurance companies, and not how to get americans back to work, fixing real problems, for real people, this is all about some jackass with a money scheme again. Follow if you dare but dont complain when the heard mantality catches up to you and the heard gets nabbed by the wolves!!!