Okemos-based Weyco Inc., a medical benefits administrator, said its offer of smoking cessation classes and support groups helped 18 to 20 of the company’s nearly 200 workers quit smoking over the past 15 months. But the four who couldn’t — or wouldn’t — no longer had jobs on Jan. 1. “We had told them they had a choice, and they chose to leave basically before the policy took effect,” said Weyco chief financial officer Gary Climes. “We’re not saying you can’t smoke in your home. We just say you can’t smoke and work here.”
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Some states protect workers who smoke, saying they can’t be discriminated against for that reason. But Michigan is one of 22 states that doesn’t have such a law, according to the Washington-based Bureau of National Affairs.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Smoking workers get fired
Lansing, Michigan, (AP):
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Why stop with smokers? This should embolden employers to follow this policy to the next level and terminate "obese and inert” employees in the name of reduced health care costs? Fat people arguably burden society more than smokers do?
ReplyDeleteGabby Johnson is right! Harumph.
ReplyDeleteWhy should they have laws that protect workers from being discriminated because they smoke?
ReplyDeleteAs long as it is not a constitutionally protected class, employers should be able to fire anyone for any reason. Eventually, Weyco's reputation for making idiotic personnel decisions will catch up with them.
The last thing Michigan needs is more regulations.