[jy22077]

I don't Smoke!

These policies are a SCAM. Smokers are being played the fool and they are the suckers. It has nothing to do with promoting a healthy lifestyle. All it is is just discrimination to make the company easier to hire people so Human Resources doesn't have to work. I can PROVE why there policies are a SCAM. It's very easy. The reason is - That CURRENT employees are allowed to smoke but NEW employees can't

WOW!! Are you kidding me! That's one hell of a privilege. Current employees get basically a 10 million dollar payout - THEY DON"T HAVE TO QUIT!

That's like saying - CURRENT employees DON'T have to pay TAXES but NEW employees Do!

That's like saying - CURRENT nursing interns don't require to have a license to be RNs but NEW nurses have to have RN licenses.

This policy will likely to incite a CIVIL WAR between current employees and new employees.

I got to tell you, if my coworker CAN smoke But I am NOT allowed to smoke, I would be screaming until the beams at city hall fell to be allowed to smoke. (Just assuming I was a smoker.)

In addition, this new policy is exceptionally brutal as it does not allow for smoking OF ANY KIND or OF ANY AMOUNT.

This policy is also HIGHLY INTRUSIVE to a person's right to privacy.

Consider this.

Suppose a wife and husband both smoke. The husband currently works at the Villages Regional Hospital. The wife wishes to get a job at the Villages Regional Hospital. The Wife CAN'T smoke but the husband can.

I am all for a hiring band on smokers but it has to apply to CURRENT employees as well.

[lafoto]

Its not clear from your post.
Is the new policy....
A) The hospital will no longer hire smokers on or off the job.
B) New employees will no longer be allowed to smoke in the smoking areas of the hospital.

[jy22077]

I believe the policy is that NEW employees won't be hired. (They will be tested for nicotine and have be free for 90 days in order to be considered.) CURRENT employees are EXEMPT from the policy. They can still smoke and don't have to quit. Smoking has been banned from hospital for years now.

[NYGUY]

Originally Posted by jy22077

I don't Smoke!

These policies are a SCAM. Smokers are being played the fool and they are the suckers. It has nothing to do with promoting a healthy lifestyle. All it is is just discrimination to make the company easier to hire people so Human Resources doesn't have to work. I can PROVE why there policies are a SCAM. It's very easy. The reason is - That CURRENT employees are allowed to smoke but NEW employees can't

WOW!! Are you kidding me! That's one hell of a privilege. Current employees get basically a 10 million dollar payout - THEY DON"T HAVE TO QUIT!

That's like saying - CURRENT employees DON'T have to pay TAXES but NEW employees Do!

That's like saying - CURRENT nursing interns don't require to have a license to be RNs but NEW nurses have to have RN licenses.

This policy will likely to incite a CIVIL WAR between current employees and new employees.

I got to tell you, if my coworker CAN smoke But I am NOT allowed to smoke, I would be screaming until the beams at city hall fell to be allowed to smoke. (Just assuming I was a smoker.)

In addition, this new policy is exceptionally brutal as it does not allow for smoking OF ANY KIND or OF ANY AMOUNT.

This policy is also HIGHLY INTRUSIVE to a person's right to privacy.

Consider this.

Suppose a wife and husband both smoke. The husband currently works at the Villages Regional Hospital. The wife wishes to get a job at the Villages Regional Hospital. The Wife CAN'T smoke but the husband can.

I am all for a hiring band on smokers but it has to apply to CURRENT employees as well.

WOW, an incoherent rant....

[lafoto]

Originally Posted by jy22077

I believe the policy is that NEW employees won't be hired. (They will be tested for nicotine and have be free for 90 days in order to be considered.) CURRENT employees are EXEMPT from the policy. They can still smoke and don't have to quit. Smoking has been banned from hospital for years now.

Sounds rather discriminatory to me. Can they ban fat people or folks with a family history of cancer?

[jy22077]

That's where the slippery slope lies. I'm really not much against the band. I really more against the unequal treatment of employees. It's clearly discrimination and if they can do with smoking, they can do it with other things. Also remember, if you are a smoker, in this day and age, smoking is highly covetted privilege because smoking has been banned in some many places. Current employees have been given this privilege but New employees can't have it. In fact, as far as a new employee is concerned, smoking is privilege that CAN NEVER EVER be granted by the hospital regardless of rank, merit or position. But even the lowest workers can still smoke just because they were employed at the hospital 24 hours before a new employee was hired.

This is an extremely dangerous precident. The hospital can change policy, polices of great importance, then apply them to new employees and not current employees. This is clearly discrimination and there is no way a hospital can justify it.

[jy22077]

Today in hospitals, smokers are vermin. The hospital does not value smokers. The only reason why the hospital doesn't apply the policy to current employees is because if they were to fire them, the hospital would lose a lot of good people and could not function. It's a lesser of 2 evils. Does the hospital want have some smokers or lose it's ability to function. Just remember though, if you are a smoker working at the hospital, the hospital does not value you and they consider you vermin. The only reason why you remain is to keep the hospital from shutting down.

[sunnyatlast]

These policies were put into effect in other states a long time ago.

It's probably more about the health insurance rates the hospital pays for its employees, and the premium incentives for having a drug-tested and smoke-free workforce.

[Allegiance]

Its sometimes repulsive just to be near a smoker in an elevator, maybe smokers should not be near sick people?

[KayakerNC]

Originally Posted by jy22077

This is clearly discrimination and there is no way a hospital can justify it.

If I'm supposed to feel bad for smokers....it's not working.

[Bay Kid]

Originally Posted by Allegiance

Its sometimes repulsive just to be near a smoker in an elevator, maybe smokers should not be near sick people?

The smell. Agreed. Also loss of time while they have smoke breaks. Then there is the smokers cough.

[rubicon]

These sort of stories remind me of how utterly misguided people are who support legalized recreational marijuana use.

There is an insurance company in Iowa that refused to hire a person unless they agreed that they would not drink or smoke. Why because one of their primary classes of insureds were churches. I am not certain if that rule still applies there?

The ban on smoking and smokers at hospitals makes sense. I expect that once the new rules settle in on new employees further attention will be directed at current employees and done carefully to avoid discrimination suits.
I found it quite a paradox when at a hospital in Minneapolis you would see medical personnel outside smoking with lung cancer patients

[karostay]

Originally Posted by Allegiance

Its sometimes repulsive just to be near a smoker in an elevator, maybe smokers should not be near sick people?

It's repulsive to be near a smoker anywhere any time !

Smoking is banned in public places and as far as I'm concerned even the golf course is a public place.

[jy22077]

I agree on that. Being next to a smoker is quite replusive. I think is is good that they have banned smoking in many public places. However, I do believe heartly on the right to privacy. Smoking is a legal act and if person wishes to do it on their own time and in their own place, it is none of the hospital's business. However, if the hospital is really trying to save money, I do agree on a ban which forbids hiring smokers. Where it is really crossing the line and wholly unfair and discriminatory is allowing the current employees to still smoke but new employees can't. There is no way to justify this.

[CFrance]

Most new policies grandfather in people who are already in place. They are looking toward the future to effect a large change.