Posted by
Madeline's Dad on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 9:45:57 AM
Sarasota County in Florida is not hiring any smokers. The Administrator of Sarasota County says the hiring ban is designed to "produce a healthier work force and manage our long-term healthcare costs". On its face, the new policy sounds like a good idea. But it makes me wonder about a few things.
The article says that new employees are required to take a nicotine drug test, and sign a pledge that they haven't smoked in the last 12 months. Let's say that a new hire passes the test, and signs the pledge. Then the Super Bowl rolls around, and that employee is at the local watering hole, enjoying a few adult beverages. I know many people that aren't "regular" smokers, but enjoy one or two with a cocktail. Say that employee is one of those people, and is observed having a cigarette with his buddies during the game by his supervisor. Can that employee be fired? What if an employee was a non-smoker before she was hired, but becomes a smoker after she begins working there?
What other medical conditions will the County go after next, in the name of reducing healthcare costs? Diabetes kills more people each year than cancer and heart disease. It's also a very expensive disease to treat, with supplies, eye problems, foot problems, and conditions associated with obesity. Wouldn't it make sense to not hire diabetics, based on the same logic Sarasota County is applying to smokers?