News, Do you smoke cigarettes? US smokers face threat of being fired. (work, hire)

[bibit612]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

I do have to say one thing about smokers. Because many of them get stuck smoking in the same area and end up becoming friends with a large range of people from within an organization, that if you want to get to know what is going on in an organization head for the smoking area and get to know the people in that group. Where I work you have people from every level smoking together talking about work. It is a great place to network within the organization. If I were to move to another job I would find out where the smokers hang out and do a little networking.

You have no idea how true this is! We've actually built a small network of City-data members in our area (yes, we've met through CD) and now are trading/exploring job opportunities, plus referring all kinds of healthcare providers, etc....smokers all.

[sheri257]

Originally Posted by mojow

I do believe there's a political agenda going on and people don't see it. They are being led by the nose. There have been many other tests done that show that second hand smoke is not the threat that it's being made into.

Politics are exploiting the distaste that nonsmokers have for smokers. In effect, people that think it stinks and is a disgusting habit, can fight to have it banned because now they are in "danger" from someone's second hand smoke.

Well ... I'm glad for it ... whatever it was.

Because without that social pressure I probably would never have quit. I'm a nurse ... for crying out loud ... I see the effects first hand and still, it took forever to quit.

Not that I'm saying all smokers will get cancer and, not that I'm saying that everybody with asthma must have smoked. I'm sure there will always be exceptions. All I AM saying is that you do see a lot of smokers in the hospital ... it may not be be proof enough for other people but ... that was proof enough for me.

I really don't want to bust tail saving and planning for my retirement ... just to end up in the hospital once I can finally quit working. I've spent enough time there already.

And once I hit my '40s ... I was really starting to feel the physical effects. So ... I'm actually grateful for the anti-smoking Nazis.

[car54]

I quit about 5 years ago, but I'm not kidding myself. The damage smoking does is irreversible....if I was ever going to die of lung cancer, I still am. Same for emphysema.

I wish they would cut the rhetoric about the body "healing itself".

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I quit...it saves a huge amount of money, and even the paint on the wall lasts longer. But I'm still waiting for the "other shoe to drop" healthwise.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by soontob

I see your point there. However; most smokers I know stick with their break time to smoke, not every hour.
If someone is taking advantage of breaks then that should be a problem, not the smoking itself.

One of the major symptoms of addiction is rationalization.

[soontob]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

One of the major symptoms of addiction is rationalization.

What am I trying to rationalize?

[nebulous1]

Originally Posted by rayneinspain

Excuse me, but that statement reeks of bigotry.

5 smokers were forced out of their jobs at the hospital I worked at, including me.

They did not fire or reprimand the nonsmokers I worked with who:

• were incompetent in their jobs
• exceeded the hospital's sick leave policy (sure wasn't us smokers)
• caused daily disturbances in the department
• attempted to hack into other coworkers' computers
• spread malicious gossip among themselves
• had drug/alcohol problems that interfered with their work
• verbally attacked both coworkers as well as managerial staff

Sounds to me that you have a very nearsighted view of people who smoke.

So, the rest of the population are, by default (taken from your statement), blessed with 'good' judgment?

Give me a break. Seriously.

I dont smoke...but I have seen exactly what youre talking about, because I got fired because of a political thing in my department. Some of my coworkers were leaving the hospital and not clocking out and going to the store "Don't tell anyone" and really breaking some rules. Who gets pushed out? Me. I never blew the whistle, but when my job was on the line, I went to HR, and they did nothing, because these 3 jerks had been there a long time.
I saw 2 of them taking drugs, they were never tired, and this was very apparent and then the one was giving the drugs to the other one. I told this to HR and again they did nothing. Simply because these two knew how to lie and were well connected. That hospital GETS what it deserves...I hope it shuts down. I tried to do the right thing for patients and several times, I got chewed out because I made someone have to do their job. I was supposed to let a patient writhe in pain and change something in the computer so Idiot didn't have to take time and be inconvienced. But you know, everyone talked about "great customer service" and when I did it, I got in trouble. I said, "Let's go talk to our boss then, if you feel this way" and he stormed out of the room and went down there, I saw him talking to her. I can imagine what he said.
I saw some really ethical things being compromised. But I have learned no one really cares.
They let my one coworker do the scheduling, and a few times she mentioned to someone that she didn't notice this or that. I never saw such an unprofessional place.
I really back smokers. It isn't illegal and if they do it at home, it isn't anyone's business what they do. Because heck, my coworkers were doing drugs at work, doing inappropriate things, and no one cared. Something is really wrong. The only satisfaction I have is knowing that that place probably won't make it. It's like an internal hemorrhage. They rip off the system and it gets worse.

[nebulous1]

Originally Posted by Sobefobik

I'm glad that they are doing this to smokers. Employers don't want their employees to be thinking about cigarettes and craving it all day long. It affects your work. It's not like the old days when you could smoke in the work place and a craving wasn't an issue. Of course, I'm glad because I don't want 2nd-hand-smoke.

Cigarettes are drugs as far as I'm concerned. Cocaine addicts don't get to shoot up when they're having a craving. They can't go outside and do that, so why should smokers be able to? I know it's not quite the same thing, but it is still a drug.

If you are overweight, use alcohol, use caffeine, have bad genes, just wait...you're next and you might find yourself eating your words.

[rayneinspain]

Originally Posted by KevK

If I was hiring, that is what I would do. They can test for nicotine in urine the same as any other drug. Positive is no hire for me! If they tested negative for urine but positive for marijuana then I MIGHT hire them!

"Negative for urine"??? Okayyyy. Yeah. Think I'll go right out and take a urine test and hope it comes back "negative for urine". LMFAO. So what's with all the joy you expressed over a potential employee testing "positive for marijuana"? But, let me guess--that's "ok" in the workplace, right? A mild hallucinogen. Brilliant. Good luck on one day owning and running that company of yours.

Originally Posted by nebulous1

I dont smoke...but I have seen exactly what youre talking about, because I got fired because of a political thing in my department. Some of my coworkers were leaving the hospital and not clocking out and going to the store "Don't tell anyone" and really breaking some rules. Who gets pushed out? Me. I never blew the whistle, but when my job was on the line, I went to HR, and they did nothing, because these 3 jerks had been there a long time.
I saw 2 of them taking drugs, they were never tired, and this was very apparent and then the one was giving the drugs to the other one. I told this to HR and again they did nothing. Simply because these two knew how to lie and were well connected. That hospital GETS what it deserves...I hope it shuts down. I tried to do the right thing for patients and several times, I got chewed out because I made someone have to do their job. I was supposed to let a patient writhe in pain and change something in the computer so Idiot didn't have to take time and be inconvienced. But you know, everyone talked about "great customer service" and when I did it, I got in trouble. I said, "Let's go talk to our boss then, if you feel this way" and he stormed out of the room and went down there, I saw him talking to her. I can imagine what he said.
I saw some really ethical things being compromised. But I have learned no one really cares.
They let my one coworker do the scheduling, and a few times she mentioned to someone that she didn't notice this or that. I never saw such an unprofessional place.
I really back smokers. It isn't illegal and if they do it at home, it isn't anyone's business what they do. Because heck, my coworkers were doing drugs at work, doing inappropriate things, and no one cared. Something is really wrong. The only satisfaction I have is knowing that that place probably won't make it. It's like an internal hemorrhage. They rip off the system and it gets worse.

Most HR departments are hostile to employees...wow what a change from the way it used to be!

The hospital I worked at was a nice, family-values institution (read: Catholic) that at one time led the country in organ donation. Little known fact that hospitals benefit from every organ they harvest. At the same time, of course, the number of (unnecessary) deaths from sepsis and pneumonia in geriatric and Alzheimer's patients was rising.

Bottom line: it's becoming more cost-effective to kill you and pawn your body parts.

And I think that 'cost-effective' is the ultimate reason for harassing smokers in the workplace, but the nearsightedness of that policy is astounding.

Sorry I didn't bother to use the 'multi-quote' function, but to answer some of the other comments to my posts:

--my employer who did not know I smoked until my last day found out only when I told them that I smoked. No tests were run.

--there is indeed a code for smoking. It's 305.1, listed under the addiction section of ICD-9-CM. (For the record, I am a medical coder.) Rarely, if ever, used as a principal diagnosis (ie, reason for admission), as it is typically saved for symptoms caused by smoking (cough, for instance).

--as to loss of productivity caused by smokers' breaks, that's a fallacy. Low productivity comes from lazy or inefficient workers, not smoking. Average rate for coding ER records, for instance, is 12-15/hr (depending on the facility)--my rate was 15-35/hr (depending on moon phase LOL).

But I do think I've worked out a solution to smoking and staying employed (but mostly as a way to keep an eye on a teenaged child)...working from home! Hope to be starting in the next few days, very excited.

[Secret Samadhi]

Originally Posted by mojow

I do believe there's a political agenda going on and people don't see it. They are being led by the nose. There have been many other tests done that show that second hand smoke is not the threat that it's being made into.

Politics are exploiting the distaste that nonsmokers have for smokers. In effect, people that think it stinks and is a disgusting habit, can fight to have it banned because now they are in "danger" from someone's second hand smoke.

You summed things up for me pretty well. Our rights are being taken away and I have no doubt that it will not stop at smoking.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by soontob

What am I trying to rationalize?

You're rationalizing that you're just as productive as the other employees.