Employers Blood Testing To Stop Smokers

Employers Blood Testing To Stop Smokers

www.blacklistednews.com

Howard Weyers tried the "carrot" approach by giving his employees incentives and encouragement to quit smoking. But when that didn't work, he resorted to the stick. A big stick.
Weyers, owner of a health care benefits administrator in Lansing, Mich., gave his 200 employees an ultimatum in 2004: Quit smoking in 15 months or lose your job. He refused to hire smokers. Ultimately, he extended his smoking ban to employees' spouses and monitored compliance through mandatory random blood testing.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm not trying to harp on smokers, or using this to show the ever advancing police state. I am using this to say that smoking is on its way out, weather you like it or not. The article goes on to say that despite thirty years of public awareness campaign, and research forty five million people in America still smoke. I think we will be seeing more actions like this one. My company is using the carrot and stick approach. They have not gone to the stick yet, but like I said, I think it will be coming to everyone.

www.blacklistednews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I don't have an issue with an employer having a non-smoking policy since they're likely subsidizing health care and/or life insurance. I have a big problem with them attempting to enforce it on the spouses of their employees.

reply to post by BlueTriangle


Thanks for posting
I don't have a problem with the non smoking policy, although I have not yet been told to give blood for them to check up on it, I kind of do have a problem with that. I mostly just see smoking going out of the society, and I am accepting that.

If smoking is on it's way out, so is freedom. Obesity is already being attacked. Check your BMI, you may be 'morbidly obese' without knowing it. Next will be eating meat. Then it will be how you smell. then how you dress. Individuality and personal freedom is on it's way out, not just smoking.

Thank God in Heaven above I'm getting off the grid. My mountain will be a smoking area as long as I live, and that's a pledge.

TheRedneck

This is Ludicrous...now employers are allowed to tell employees (and thier spouses) what they can and cant do off the clock and do random blood screenings to be sure?

Thats a huge invasion of privacy.

reply to post by RedGolem


How is this even legal. As smoking is legal.

If you say health insurance. Well, do they make people stand on a scale also as the obese in this nation make up more health care issues than smokers do. This is insane.

Originally posted by BlueTriangle
I don't have an issue with an employer having a non-smoking policy since they're likely subsidizing health care and/or life insurance. I have a big problem with them attempting to enforce it on the spouses of their employees.

Well, spouses of employees are on the health insurance also.

What I want to know is when do we start discriminating against the fat people in this country?

Thats illegal.

He is not a law enforcement agency and smoking is not illegal, so who is he to 'enforce' this on spouses ?

He should be in jail for a sever case of blackmail . Spouses smoking makes you lose your job ? Thats blackmail.

Originally posted by BlueTriangle
...with an employer...since they're likely subsidizing health care and/or life insurance. ...

Ummm, no. You are incorrect. The "subsidizing" is PART OF THE EMPLOYEES COMPENSATION.

Originally posted by sir_chancealot
Ummm, no. You are incorrect. The "subsidizing" is PART OF THE EMPLOYEES COMPENSATION.

Yes, I would tell this employer to kiss my ass and pay me higher wages so that I could get health insurance on my own.

Next he'll demand surgery to assure employees, their wives, and families cannot have 'relations' to get rid of STDs.

And NO outdoor activites, they might get skin cancer.

And no caffeine, sugar, and heck ... why not turn the whole bunch into vegetarians while he's at it?

He's a control freak who probably cannot control his own life.

Solution:
The employees REQUIRE their boss to be lobotomy-cized! Wait! Looks like the boss already had one.

I bet you need to pee just to get hired there......

Any time they want to test me I'm game. Just make sure you are ready for a TASTE test!

Thanks to everyone whos posting.
First off its not just smokeing, its many things that are un healthy, including fat.
www.abovetopsecret.com...
Yes it is an invasion of privacy, it is taking away a freedom. The thing is in this society, so long as health care is being paid for by the government or a company, both entities will support each other is being able to say they have some authority in how healthy you keep your self. That is why I think we will be seeing more of this.

I was going to a group meeting not too long ago for people with problems with everything from alcohol to crack-coc aine. Not long before I left, the counselor informed us that we would all have to quit smoking cigarettes, and that nicotine would be tested for as well as all the other substances.

Telling a recovering crack-head to quit cigs cold-turkey like that is the same as telling him he is going back to jail. Most of the people who were in the recovery group were mandated there by courts or probation/parole. There were a few women there mandated by CPS, who will probably wind up losing their kids for smoking cigarettes. Even for those who weren't mandated, failure means going into an intensive treatment program at more than five times the cost.

[edit on 6/17/0808 by jackinthebox]

reply to post by RedGolem


What about alcohol? Another legal drug that places a lot of people in health care issues. Be it from liver disease to drunk driving accidents to bar room fights. This is a bad slippery slope we're getting ourselves into.

BTW, Redneck...can I come live with you on your mountain?

reply to post by RedGolem


If they were really concerned about our health, they would do something about the "creeping death" that is our food supply. They are killing us and making us pay for it!

"Let them eat cake!"

reply to post by jackinthebox



I used to work in secure detention facilities here in the UK, and your post made me laugh - let me tell you why.

We had this group therapy session all arranged and this nurse turned up. Smack heads, crack heads and an assorted lot of bad lads. She started going on about the evils of cigarettes... you should of seen the lags faces...

On lad stood up and told her in no uncertain terms 'were all smacks and coke heads... giving up tabs (cigs) as well ? f### off your mental!'




Sorry had to share that as your post reminded me of her stupidity.

reply to post by Griff


Griff
that is what I mean by when I say we will be seeing more of this. Alcohol will come into the game, as trans fats have already. There are probably hundreds of other unhealthy items that can be put on the list. I just think we will be seeing many more of then on the companies or governments hit list.

Originally posted by RedGolem
There are probably hundreds of other unhealthy items that can be put on the list.

How about governments period. Let's get rid of them.

BTW, I hope you know I'm not trying to be argumentative with you. It just so happens that your posts are what remind me to say something.

[edit on 6/17/2008 by Griff]