Clark County may consider smoking ban on new hires
By Tiffany Y. Latta, Dayton Daily News, Ohio | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The county wouldn't be the first local employer to do so. Community
But a workplace rights advocate argue the non-smoking policies stretch too far into what employees do in their private time.
He acknowledged that some good employees are smokers and that it might give some of them extra creativity.
"The downside is much greater and as an employer you are going to have lost time from hiring smokers and your potential health risks down the road for your hospitalization insurance is going to be increased," Detrick said.
Other hospitals in the region also don't hire smokers or those who use tobacco products, including
The goal is that the best case medical protocol is practiced by the practitioners, Bucklew said.
"Before the smoking ban we used to see hospital employees with hospital badges outside of the hospital smoking," Bucklew said.
More hospitals might adopt similar policies, he said.
Community
"Community
The policy minimizes the risk of adverse health effects to patients, visitors, physicians, employees and volunteers, Lamb said, as well as reduces the risk of fire.
He began seeing companies adopt such policies in the early 1990s, but said the majority of businesses haven't followed suit.
"Fortunately most employers realize this is a bad idea," Maltby said. "There are very, very few employers that have this kind of policy. There are a handful of hospitals around the country and for some strange reason a few casinos. But it's not a mainstream idea."
The practice intrudes into the private lives of employees and could lead businesses to not hire the best candidates.
"The unspoken assumption in all this is we can reject the best candidate for the job and we can get someone else just as good. You won't," Maltby said.
Maltby acknowledges the policy has economic benefits as smokers cost more in health care than non-smokers. But hiring someone less qualified for the position can cost much more.
"Employers get to make the rules while you're at work," he said. "But they're not supposed to tell you how to run your private life ... Everybody does something that's bad for their health. You could run down the list. Tobacco is not good for you, but neither is junk food or alcohol or maybe even red meat."
The city of
"I come from a family where I was the only non-smoker," he said. "I understand all the health issues and I also understand that it's really hard to give up."
County Commissioner
County Commissioner
Smokers cost private employers nearly
Currently 29 states have smoker protection laws, but not
" We have a lot of employment discrimination laws in place to protect against the type of discrimination that most people would find objectionable. Tobacco is a modifiable behavior that is responsible for a huge amount of costs, not just to the employer, but more importantly to people and to society, so I think there is a reasonable basis for making a distinction there," Berman said.
Government entities have imposed higher insurance premiums on smokers and are offering wellness program to help employees quit. But Berman hasn't seen many ban the hiring of tobacco users.
"More employers are going to keep looking at it, but I think it's going to be a slow process," Berman said.
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