CBS News (no subscription required) is reporting an interesting story. Scotts Miracle-gro, a 2 billion dollar business, has decided their employees can no longer smoke.
If they won't quit, they won't have a job at Scotts. Thirty percent of Scotts' 5,300 U.S. workers smoke. And it's estimated that smokers cost an extra $4,000 a year each for health care and lost productivity. Scotts has already banned smoking on the job. Next October, workers must stop altogether.
I have no problem with Scotts prohibiting smoking on work premises, it is the businesses right to choose what is acceptable and nonacceptable behavior while the employee is "on the clock". The simple solution is to allow smokers the choice, on their own time of course, to smoke or not to smoke and charge the smoker higher health care premiums to cover the higher costs.
In some states Scotts will be unable to fire smokers who do not quit smoking because of laws protecting the rights of smokers. Scotts' solution in those states - increase their health care premium.
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