Posted on 1/9/2008, 9:35:04 PM by lowbridge
The owner of a small German computer company has fired three non-smoking workers because they were threatening to disturb the peace after they requested a smoke-free environment.
The manager of the 10-person IT company in Buesum, named Thomas J., told the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper he had fired the trio because their non-smoking was causing disruptions.
Germany introduced non-smoking rules in pubs and restaurants on January 1, but Germans working in small offices are still allowed to smoke.
"I can't be bothered with trouble-makers," Thomas was quoted saying. "We're on the phone all the time and it's just easier to work while smoking. Everyone picks on smokers these days. It's time for revenge. I'm only going to hire smokers from now on."
wo0t!! someone fighting back the nanny state!
LOL! Nice to see someone taking a stand.
Why....this is an outrage....freedom in the work place?
Eict, nine non smokenze. He is correct of course smokers take a hit and are told them must pay for everyone else in additional taxes.
Just society attacking another minority.
If it is okay to fire someone because they are a smoker than it should be okay to fire someone who is not a smoker.
I suspect that would not fly here.
Heh heh, bound to happen. The Nazis had The Resistance and now the tobacco Nazis have Thomas J.
And from such humble beginnings...
LOL—The Germans will save us.
LOL, my kind of guy!!
Ach du Lieber Gott in Himmel! Good for him!
BUMP
World’s greatest boss ping!
Good on him. It’s his place of business, and it is apparently a small business, not a huge conglomerate. He shouldn’t have to put up with troublemakers. They can work elsewhere if they want a non-smoking environment.
I love this article. Lot of US Businesses would probably be better off if they fired the trouble makers instead of caving into demands of one or two people.
That would suck to be fired for not smoking. I don’t think that would work in the U.S. A lawsuit would definitely arise.
Good for him!
They were actually fired for trouble making, not for not smoking. (Headline is deceptive.)
I don’t think that would work in the U.S. A lawsuit would definitely arise.
True, but it SHOULD work here in the 'land of the free.'
Worked in Germany in the mid 1990’s at a client site. While at the German client site people could smoke down the hall and in the evenings in the offices as the windows opened (6 floor office bldg). Back at the US home office smokers were only allowed to smoke in a fenced in cage outside.
You just KNEW this was coming, sooner or later...
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