Do you think its fair for buisnesses not to hire smokers?

Question

I don't have a link, but I saw a story about a man in delaware that got fired because he was a smoker- and not because he was smoking at work, but because a pee test came back positive for nicotine. Do you think this is fair? The reasoning was that smokers cost more to provide health insurance to. What about just not offering smokers health insurance?

I know smokers choose to do it, but hell- most pregnant people chose to get pregnant, and they cost more to insure.. is it fair to fire every pregnant woman?

Answer 1

I can't stand smoking and hate being around it. However, it's their lungs so let 'em fill them up with smoke. It's stupid for a company to fire someone for smoking, and yes, being pregnant costs WAY more to insurance companies than smoking does. Sounds to me like his job is just trying to enforce a no smokers allowed policy.

Anyone who says it's fair because smokers take sick days, cost more money in insurance. well ok fine. Fat people cost more to insure and supposedly take more sick days. So do pregnant women, and people with health issues.

Let's just fire everyone who might costs a company higher insurance premiums. Then we'll only have 21-35 year old white males employeed. Can't employ women, they cost more because they might decide to get pregnant. Can't employ anyone with something like asthma or high blood pressure, they might cost more to the insurance companies.

Where you gonna draw the line?

Answer 2

I think the key word in your question is FAIR!! That is the most inappropriate word in the world. Fair SHOULD not be a factor in the equation. If a person owns a business, he will be successful or not by the way he runs his business. In other words, if he makes the correct decisions more often than not, his business SHOULD succeed. HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HIRE WHO HE WANTS. He should also be able to FIRE anyone that does not conform to company policy and if they go to work there, they AGREED to conform to company policy. If they said they were a non-smoker and they actually WAS a smoker, then they LIED and that is grounds for dismissal in most businesses. (if they falsify the job application) Now, I dare say that when they applied, there was no question on the application about pregnancy. If there was nothing about the applicant agreeing to not get pregnant so if they do, it would not be grounds for dismissal.

Answer 3

If it were my business I would not hire smokers. If it's up to me to hire people that are qualified and that won't cost me thousands more in health insurance, then no smokers would get it. Sorry, I have every right to choose non-smokers. Having a child is not nearly as costly to an insurance company as a smoker, come on!

I think you need to educate yourself on the effects of smoking and never make the pregnant PEOPLE argument again. You should have said pregnant women, as "people" would mean men are also getting pregnant.

As a non-smoking mother of three, I resent being lumped into the same category as a smoker. I was fit before I had kids, and remain fit today. I am in no way, shape, or form anywhere near the drain on the health insurance industry than smokers.

Get a grip. Having kids doesn't cause lung cancer, emphysema, throat cancer, or put any of us on transplant lists. Cigarettes do that.

p.s. WE paid a lump sum to our insurance provider with the birth of each child. Now each of my kids are indeed insured, but we PAY for them out of our own paychecks. A one-time fee at the time I give birth is NOTHING compared to the years and years of care that smokers require. There is no basis for comparison.

Answer 4

ADULTS DO NOT NEED OTHER PARENTS in THE FORM OF BOVERNMENT NOR DO THEY NEED NANNIES THAT KNOW BETTER WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU!

Those Employers should be sued, they ae ADMITTING they own SLAVES and That's Illegal Too. It is Discrimination by those with an agenda to take away Personal Rights! It sounds nice and politically Correct and Smokers make easy targets for the Super Moral Hypocrites! They pay more Taxes without Representation. Fact of the matter is the same People that want to take away their Personal Rights are the same ones with Lobbyists on both sides of the issue as they greedily suck up the money from both sides

.It's about Property and Privacy Rights. It's an Excuse to conrol people and Limit their Rights! It is None of anybody's Busness what you or family members do at home or while on breaks! Tobacco is a Legal substance and accomodations can be Made where Non-smoker's can be smoke free! It really has nothing to do with the cost of Insurance. The same amount of paperwork is filed for other incidences of Medical treatment. Often times those employers insurance that is in part paid for by employees are not covered as the Insurance Companies dictate what is reasonable service and what is not!

Hundreds of Small Businesses are closing because of these insidious bans. Those small businesses also provide two out of every Theree jobs in America. Smokers have a right to enjoy themselves too. They are paying high taxes to smoke and should be able to without being harrassed, just because others don't like it! It's none of their business either!

Please explain the results of the Love Canal and the fiasco with people's heath with Dow Chemical of Michigan. The Air, the food you eat the water you drink, building materials and the gasoline you burn in your car and a host of other things cause cancer! It is not smoking alone. That is the ranting of environmentalists with another agenda that is Socialist/Communist and Religious wack jobs! What about that little something extra that came home with the First Gulf War Vets? Their families were also affected that never went anyplace close!

Answer 5

On top of that, what about people who are alcoholics or even just excessive drinkers, eat fried and unhealthy food all the time. Everyone is a drain on the health care system. But seriously, unless the company has a policy that the employee knew about from the beginning and chose to ignore the firing seems ridiculous. Was he smoking in work? Because most work places don't permit that. My only issue is if people who smoke get smoke breaks, can I get some breaks too???

Answer 6

it's fair for them not to hire smokers, just like it's fair for them not to hire a person for any number of other habits or vices. but it is not fair to fire someone just strictly because they smoke...unless they agreed to be tested and knew they could be fired for it, but decided to do it anyway and got caught.

Answer 7

its fair. a smoker can cost a business much more money and time due to illeness and of course, any medication needed to be taken because of his/her choice to smoke

is it fair to the other workers that they be denied raises and such because now the business has to pay more for an individual who smokes (and their ailments that comes with being a smoker)

smokers can cost business in money too, because they could end up taking more sick days than a person who doesnt smoke.

its the companies money; if they feel that a smoker is costing them too much to keep employed, they can fire him/her . and in an At-Will state, they can fire you for any reason.


as for the health insurance ,but its law in nearly every state that a business must provide health insurance to any full time employee under them. So, denying a person health insurance means the business would have to put that person on part -time or ... not employ them at all.

Answer 8

When you look at it from a employer's point of view one of the highest cost of business is providing health care coverage. Smokers always have higher incidence of illness and this is reflected in the premiums charged

Answer 9

I think what a person does in his or her private life is nobody's business. The employers rules stop after working hours and up until the next workday begins.

We have become a "nanny" society where everyone thinks they know what is "best" for you. The government, the church, the workplace, your neighbors all feel entitled to tell you what you are allowed to do on your own time.

Until people start standing up and telling them all to go to he11, it will only get worse.

Answer 10

Absolutely not. I think its very unfair.

I'm a smoker myself, and I although I dont think its necessarily fair, I'd go without health insurance if I had the choice between that and getting fired.