News, Do you smoke cigarettes? US smokers face threat of being fired. (credit card, work)
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"Negative for urine"??? Okayyyy. Yeah. Think I'll go right out and take a urine test and hope it comes back "negative for urine". LMFAO. So what's with all the joy you expressed over a potential employee testing "positive for marijuana"? But, let me guess--that's "ok" in the workplace, right? A mild hallucinogen. Brilliant. Good luck on one day owning and running that company of yours.
Most HR departments are hostile to employees...wow what a change from the way it used to be!
The hospital I worked at was a nice, family-values institution (read: Catholic) that at one time led the country in organ donation. Little known fact that hospitals benefit from every organ they harvest. At the same time, of course, the number of (unnecessary) deaths from sepsis and pneumonia in geriatric and Alzheimer's patients was rising.
Bottom line: it's becoming more cost-effective to kill you and pawn your body parts.
And I think that 'cost-effective' is the ultimate reason for harassing smokers in the workplace, but the nearsightedness of that policy is astounding.
Sorry I didn't bother to use the 'multi-quote' function, but to answer some of the other comments to my posts:
--my employer who did not know I smoked until my last day found out only when I told them that I smoked. No tests were run.
--there is indeed a code for smoking. It's 305.1, listed under the addiction section of ICD-9-CM. (For the record, I am a medical coder.) Rarely, if ever, used as a principal diagnosis (ie, reason for admission), as it is typically saved for symptoms caused by smoking (cough, for instance).
--as to loss of productivity caused by smokers' breaks, that's a fallacy. Low productivity comes from lazy or inefficient workers, not smoking. Average rate for coding ER records, for instance, is 12-15/hr (depending on the facility)--my rate was 15-35/hr (depending on moon phase LOL).
But I do think I've worked out a solution to smoking and staying employed (but mostly as a way to keep an eye on a teenaged child)...working from home! Hope to be starting in the next few days, very excited.
Glad you can work from home, it will cut down on a lot of stress.
Yes, HR is very hostile to employees. We are seen the way business sees us, as an unpleasant cost of doing business.
I agree with your points. I think companies make excuses to back their stuff.
Wow-this is a good sign that most people aren't being deceived. The idea that an employer wants so badly to control your private life (no nicotine even off-hours) is only related to profit...maybe investors don't like smokers' image, maybe they get a break on health insurance (hardly fair...I'm a smoker but a fellow I know is 7 years younger, has huge weight & gastro issues due to lack of exercise & poor judgment in food choices...who is the more costly? He's at the doctor every other month!).
Or, maybe it's psychotic...maybe the old geezers in charge are just mad cuz they had to quit for their own image or their wife made them quit, so everyone else has to, also...the average worker doesn't make or break a company if he smokes. Haven't seen that headline yet
I'm optimistic that as adults, who are entrusted with enriching the companies we work for, are quite capable of managing our private lives. As an aside, if we were a more proactive country in terms of health, many of us would have quit on our own with enough support & no drugs, thanks.
Someone wrote long ago that people who sacrifice liberty for security, deserve neither, is about where we should collectively stand on this. And, ironically, I'm at a point where I want to quit smoking, but I certainly won't take that privelege from others.
I don't care if this is a "Zombie" thread...I hope it stays active!
Let me restate it once more time : Smokers Have Rights To !
Remember the state laws are most explicit ... 18 year old who choose to do so may legally use tobacco products !!!
The Gobbermint needs to seriously keep their big noses out of the American citizens business regarding those who legally use tobacco products.
Those who choose not to use ... good for you !
Those who choose to use have a legal right to do so ! So get over it and "Quityerbellyachin" !
Keep up the bloody whining and the gobbermint will take this and then other rights away from all of us ! ... So keep yer dang yaps shut about this matter ... or first thang y'all know the wonderful politicians will be ah tellin ya whats to be done in yer own blinkin bedroom !!!
Wow-this is a good sign that most people aren't being deceived. The idea that an employer wants so badly to control your private life (no nicotine even off-hours) is only related to profit...maybe investors don't like smokers' image, maybe they get a break on health insurance (hardly fair...I'm a smoker but a fellow I know is 7 years younger, has huge weight & gastro issues due to lack of exercise & poor judgment in food choices...who is the more costly? He's at the doctor every other month!).
Or, maybe it's psychotic...maybe the old geezers in charge are just mad cuz they had to quit for their own image or their wife made them quit, so everyone else has to, also...the average worker doesn't make or break a company if he smokes. Haven't seen that headline yet
I'm optimistic that as adults, who are entrusted with enriching the companies we work for, are quite capable of managing our private lives. As an aside, if we were a more proactive country in terms of health, many of us would have quit on our own with enough support & no drugs, thanks.
Someone wrote long ago that people who sacrifice liberty for security, deserve neither, is about where we should collectively stand on this. And, ironically, I'm at a point where I want to quit smoking, but I certainly won't take that privelege from others.
I don't care if this is a "Zombie" thread...I hope it stays active!
FreeSpirited1 ... !!! On The Money !
Indeed ... It is refreshing to read an intelligent post regarding this matter !
Keep up the good work !
Ole CDF can sure as hail use a whole boat load of folks with some actual smarts fer ah dang change !
Most of us may think that's great, it gives us a leg up on the smokers. But who knows what they'll think of next. Parents, those more than 15 miles away, Democrats, Republicans?
I quit a job I loved because of a smoker. She was outside 20 minutes out of every hour and usually took other employees with her. So I ended up trying to cover her job and mine- I'm not an emotional person, and I would get so frustrated I would be shaking. I talked to her personally, to the boss many times- I eventually had a sort of breakdown and burst into tears from pure RAGE- I've never been that angry before or since.
That said, I'm all for banning smoking in the workplace- but once you leave work for the day, your time is your own and so is your body.
Yeah, some people are going to be obnoxious and take too many smoke breaks and leave the work for you. There are people like that everywhere; if they're not taking smoke breaks, they have some other way that they're screwing you like using the internet too much, waiting to get to work to fix their hair, etc.
Remember, I'm pretty sure it's the law in every state (until the teabaggers get their way an take away all workers' rights) that if you work 8 hours, you get at least a half hour lunch and two 15 minute breaks. Whose business is it what you do on those breaks?
Our premiums are going up in January and we have the opportunity to decrease them by 2% if we 1. test negative for nicotine 2. take a physical 3. do some sort of online assessment. I was under the impression that we could opt out of the nicotine thing, but apparently I was wrong. My thing is, look, I'm not going to lie to you, I smoke, charge me more, but don't make me submit to a test that I'm going to tell you the truth about anyway. It's also worrisome because it just makes me wonder what will be tested for at work places in the future. I'm on zoloft. Is it going to come to a point where those with depression and anxiety have to submit to psychological testing to perform a job that they've been doing well at anyway? Is HR going to come after you if you go to the doctor too much? What's next?
Besides, I keep telling people, you can't cure clumsy and you can't cut down all the trees, because that's all I go to the doctor for - being a clutz and allergies.
Yes I smoke (I really wish that I would quit but that will come someday). When I am working I take a quick break maybe about 10 minutes at most, just enough time to go out back then come inside and wash my hands and try to get the smokey smell off of me.
I think that the nicotine tests are a crossing the line just a little bit, although in all honesty maybe it would force me to quit??
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This thread is smokin hot, two years later :)
"Smoke Em Iffin Ya Gots Em" ..... OTAY !!!
