Should Companies Be Allowed to Fire Smokers? Safety.BLR.com Poll Says No

After Weyco Inc., a benefits administrator in Michigan, implemented a policy prohibiting employees from smoking, even in non-work hours, Safety.BLR.com conducted a national poll of health and safety managers. The company was trying to control health care costs. The results: Employers shouldn’t be allowed to fire workers who smoke away from work, according to nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of those who responded.

Old Saybrook, CT (PRWEB) February 24, 2005

After an employer in Michigan implemented a policy prohibiting employees from smoking, even in non-work hours, Safety.BLR.com conducted a national poll of health and safety managers. The results: Employers shouldn’t be allowed to fire workers who smoke away from work, according to nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of those who responded.

Twenty percent of respondents said employers should be allowed to fire someone who smokes in non-work hours. The remaining 8 percent said they were unsure. Firing smokers is a hot-button topic—more than 900 people cast their votes in the poll. It was conducted during the week of February 8 by Safety.BLR.com, a website that makes safety training and compliance easier.

Something has to give in healthcare costs Weyco Inc., a benefits administrator based in Okemos, Michigan, gave workers time to quit and initiated a mandatory testing program. The founder of the company, Howard Weyers, says he’s trying to fight rising healthcare costs with the no-smoking policy. Michigan has no law protecting smokers from discrimination, but more than half of U.S. states have laws with some sort of protection.

Sean Dean, editor at Safety.BLR.com, predicted that more employers facing double-digit healthcare cost increases will implement similar policies if their state allows them. “Something has to give in healthcare, and smokers are an easy target. They tend to become sick more frequently and more seriously, miss more work, and take more breaks. We’re even beginning to see companies that are asking employees to state that none of their dependents are smokers,” he added. Critics of no-smoking policies that cover non-work hours wonder whether employers will try barring other employee activities that take place outside of work, such as alcohol consumption.

Free Report: How to Prove the ROI of EHS Programs Safety managers institute many programs to help their companies save money, but sometimes have trouble proving their worth. To download a Free special report: “The ROI of EHS: Practical Strategies for Demonstrating the Business Value of Environmental, Health, and Safety Functions” go here: http://www.blr.com/81001600/WBS573

About BLR

Old Saybrook, Conn.-based BLR produces plain-English compliance and training products for HR, compensation, safety, and environmental managers. For a free catalog, call 800-727-5257 or visit http://www.BLR.com.

Contact:    

Safety.BLR.com

Associate Editor Sean Dean    

editors@blr.com

860 510-0100 x 2129

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