Geisinger will stop hiring smokers

Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre PA) ^ | 12/29/11 | Steve Mocarsky

[mylife]

I bet peter puffers are welcome.

[EGPWS]

The urine test will include screening for cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, snuff, nicotine patches, nicotine gum and cigars. The test only detects active nicotine users, not those exposed to second-hand smoke.

But...but...second hand smoke KILLS, doesn't it? ; )

[cripplecreek]

What about drinkers or Tylenol users. How bout people who drive full sized pickup trucks or hunt?

Slippery slippery slippery

[the invisib1e hand]

saw this (and its ugly variations)coming 20 years ago.

Hey, look: "some pigs are more equal!"

[ngat]

From the article:

“Merkle said non-nicotine hiring policies are legal in 20 states, including Pennsylvania.”

Are non-alcohol hiring policies “legal”?

[SpaceBar]

Smokers, the new jews.

[adorno]

Geisinger is joining dozens of hospitals and medical organizations across the country that are encouraging healthier living, decreasing absenteeism and reducing health care costs by adopting strict policies that make smoking a reason to turn away job applicants

If the goal is to encourage healthier living, then I'm pretty sure that the policy will be amended to include fat people in the "not hiring" category, because, they have higher health care costs, are absent more than non-fat(obese) people, and might be less productive than normal-sized people. It's coming.

[Gen.Blather]

A drunk HR lady for the company I worked for in the late ‘80’s told me they secretly tested for nicotine at the pre-employment drug screen. If it came back positive and a competing candidate didn’t they recommended hiring the competing candidate. This place had 1500 employees and they’d had several die very expensively from lung cancer.

Frankly, I’m surprised this isn’t standard procedure, given medical costs and the clear correlation between smoking and medical outlays. If you smoke in England, I’ve read NHS won’t allow you to receive organ transplants.

[cripplecreek]

Our local hospital will kick a patient out if they leave the property to smoke.

Last time I was in the hospital some 15 odd years ago, I had a whole network of nurses who would take me to the cafeteria to smoke at all hours of the day or night.

[eyedigress]

Some of our brightest firmware writers are smokers. Some of our best hardware engineers chew snuff. Let the madness begin.

[petitfour]

POTUS need not apply there. Doesn’t he use nicotine gum or some such?

[ml/nj]

I wonder if they'll stop hiring queers.

ML/NJ

[cripplecreek]

Look at the pictures of Mission Control back in the days when we actually put men on the moon.

Buzz cuts, pocket protectors, cigarettes and coffee with scotch in the evenings.

[eyedigress]

Believe me I know. Smoking was allowed everywhere up until I left the service. Different times.

[Hot Tabasco]

And yet they have no problem with hiring alcohol consumers. Alcohol consumption has ruined more families, destroyed more lives and careers than tobacco ever will........

Nobody cares since smokers have already been successfully identified, stigmatized, demonized and now ostracized..........It's all part of the plan.

Time to ban alcohol!

[umgud]

Back in the 60’s, patients and visitors could smoke in the patients hospital room.

[raybbr]

Oh, man. This thread is funny. All these conservatives who advocate the right of businesses to serve who they want, say to hell with affirmative action and cheer when people are allowed to choose who they wish to associate with without reprisal are now turning the table around because a company wants to hire people who don't smoke.

Hypocrites!

[surroundedbyblue]

How about me? I’m a runner & have had several ortho injuries that have consumed some healthcare $$$

What bullcrap. The groups that one could discriminate against are unlimited. How about promiscuous homosexuals?? After all, THAT’S a high risk lifestyle.

[eyedigress]

They stopped that in the 70’s but my dad would call a cabby to bring him smokes. It was kinda clever I guess.