Baylor Health Care is banning the hiring of smokers, and current smokers must pay a surcharge for their health insurance. I understand the idea of banning smoking on the premises..especially at a hospital, but I think the banning of hiring people who use a legal substance off hours is heading in the wrong direction. Will obese people be next? http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpps/news/092211-Baylor-No-Smokers-Need-Apply_15142996 Baylor: No Smokers Need Apply Published : Thursday, 22 Sep 2011, 5:13 AM MST By Alice Wolke | MYFOXDFW.COM DALLAS - Want a dream job working in the health care industry? If you want to work for Baylor Health Care System and you smoke or use another nicotine product, you're out of luck. Beginning Jan. 1, Baylor will no longer hire anyone who smokes. On the company's Careers page, the rules are laid out: Applicants who admit to nicotine use will not have their applications processed Anyone who is hired will be tested for nicotine If you test positive, your job offer will be withdrawn After a positive result, you can reapply for the job after 90 days The rules won't apply to current employees, but they are already paying a surcharge of $50 per year for health insurance. Under a new plan, that fee will increase to $650 per year by 2012. Harsh? Maybe. But remember, Baylor banned smoking on all of its properties back in 2007. It's one of the largest employers in North Texas, and wants to set an example of good health for its patients. Baylor Health Care has 14 hospitals and 100 clinics across the southwestern U.S. Some have wondered if smoking control by an employer is the beginning of a slippery slope, and if an employee's weight or cholesterol level will be mandated next.
You would have to question a healthcare professional that continues to smoke absolutely knowing it increases cancer risks significantly. It indicates a lack of commitment to the care and science they are delivering. Besides they know it will cost their company more in health insurance and lost work days. My best golf buddy just died recently from a cancer that started in his lungs and after 3 years of chemo and radiation went to his brain. It was ugly and sad and for him like I know him was degrading and embarrassing, to lose his looks, hair, speech, motor control and force his wife to go through all that. But he said " I did this to myself, I've smoked as long as I can remember and I knew the risks". So then he gets to die with that guilt on his conscience. Not to mention it wiped them out financially. There is no right to be stupid.
They should be. Not underwriting on this criteria for health insurance is a crime to those that actually take care of themselves. When you buy life insurance, you're individually underwritten and it should be the same with health. JMO
I would Vote Alcoholics before Obese people but then again . . we sure do hate 'fatties' Rocket River
I am a strong supporter of smoking restrictions, but this crosses a line. Your employer should not be able to dictate your legal non-working activities. This is bs.
Link please? Try 33%, of the US pop, at least. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/obesity-gene-carried-by-half-the-157028.aspx http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2011/05/16/Consortium-discovers-obesity-gene/UPI-77391305574675/ http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080714153802.htm
It makes sense in that they damage the reputation of their employer when they smoke. It's part of their job performance. They have a material interest, just like schools won't hire p*rn stars, strip clubs won't hire fat people, catholic schools won't hire muslims and so on. Moving on to fat people is too complicated and problematic. Smoking is an easy binary distinction.
So any and all unhealthy habits etc should be open to Job Discrimination? So if a woman gets pregnant and is unmarried .. . will we be ok with firing her for having unprotected sex? Can 'Catholic schools' fire one for having an abortion? I mean . .that would not look right. . .a Catholic School Teacher having an Abortion Can Pepsi fire you for having a Coke at your Brother-N-Law's BBQ? How invasive in our PERSONAL lives are we willing to allow our JOBS? Companies and Corps >>>> Personal Liberties? Only as much liberty as you can afford? Rocket River
Nobody hates smoking and smokers more than I do, with that being said, this policy is total BS! You can not regulate what people do in their own time as long as it is legal. If we accept this policy than another one will come up soon. I also understood that Baylor is in the healthcare business but so am I and I still think this policy is full of crap!
Too many things have detrimental effects on your health. Will they dismiss a Doctor because they are fat? How does it look for Jabba the Doc to tell me I need to lose weight? Alcohol - Doc Hennnesey trying to tell me to cut back on drinking? What about Doc boehner with a synthetic tan? This slippery slope is just another way that companies gain leverage to basically fire who they want when they want without any real reason except they don't like you . . . The more of these 'loopholes' we find .. .the more companies will start practicing like it was the 1920s. . . What's Won't get your hand cut off in the combine???? Well .. you smoke right. . you fired. . . Rocket River
Is there anything more perplexing than a bunch of fat nurses standing 26 feet outside the hospital door smoking?
It is a HIGH STRESS job . . . . . All it will take is one Skinny Non Smoking nurse to smother that MFer in rm 513 for *****ting in his *****ing sheets again All could have been saved if she were allowed to have some comfort food and a smoke Rocket River
I think the ban isn't 'fair', but I can see why they're doing it...in the long run you have less money lost to healthcare for some smokers that will eventually become chronically ill... in addition to lost work hours due to numerous 'smoke breaks' they have to take. Their breath and clothes usually smell bad even if they try to conceal it, it's just dirty...I'm not sure a company, especially in the health field, would want someone like that representing them. But there are a lot of people who smoke, and some of them are really good workers...considering the shortage of workers in certain healthcare fields, I wonder if this might become a problem.
Totally agreed. Smoking is a legal activity that doesn't necessarily impose any work restrictions. This should be illegal.
