Casino in Ohio Will Not be Hiring Smokers

[Boozy]

Depends on how long you've been smoking. Like with alcohol, addiction to nicotine is very much possible.

Addiction to nicotine isn't just possible, it's probable. But that doesn't mean it's not a choice. Quitting is tricky, but don't let smokers tell you its impossible. People do it successsfully, every day.

Hpwever, I disagree with these policies. I don't believe that employers should be allowed to dictate what their employees do at home, off the clock. The fact that the health insurance system gives them financial incentive to do so is further proof that the US health care system in general is in need of serious reform.

As far as smoke breaks go, I could (theoretically) take one every hour and still be more productive than my co-workers. They take breaks to chat every 2 minutes or so. Employers need to look at the overall quality and quantity of someone's work before making blanket policies.

[AdminAssistant]

Meh I think a lot of the smell factor is psychological.

Nope. The batshit crazy professor I'm working for is also a heavy smoker and has been for 30 years. She's also the real friendly type, likes to get in close to talk to you. Her breath is disgusting. Smells like a thousand stale cigarettes. In general she's not that bad, has that musty smell, but it's not enough to make you cough. But her breath....ugh.

[DrFaroohk]

Yeah but you don't fake an asthma attack when you smell your prof like some people do.

[drunkenwildmage]

I was going to mention that...is the entire casino going to be smoke-free (for 'customers' as well)? If not (or even if; there are few ways to completely avoid secondhand smoke), how could the company tell if a positive result was from the employee smoking or just exposure?

By State law, the casino's are smoke free.. A couple years ago, they passed a state law, that any work place environment had to be smoke free. It even applys to Company Owned Vehicles. At one point it was thought that if a OTH (Over the Road) Truck driver was just driving a company owned semi through the state of Ohio, that smoking would be Illegal in the truck, altho I think they step down from that.

[bainsidhe]

I don't believe that employers should be allowed to dictate what their employees do at home, off the clock. The fact that the health insurance system gives them financial incentive to do so is further proof that the US health care system in general is in need of serious reform.

So much this. Employers continue to single out workers and society continues to allow it. People think singling out smokers is fine, since it's a sucky habit anyway and a "choice". People think singling out overweight workers is fine, since society as a whole hates fat people and it's their own fault they're fat. What's next? Singling out workers who have cancer in their family? Singling out parents? Or non-parents?

I'm a plus-size gal, btw, so this hits close to home. It's frightening to hear companies try to explain away discrimination as a way to "promote healthy lifestyles" and save in insurance premiums. This is the tip of the iceberg and that scares the hell out of me.