Smoking policy at Scotts doesn't quit at quitting time

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.

Comments

[Rich]

Smoking is pretty straight forward argument and I agree with the idea of extra insurance premiums for this life 'choice'. But the obese, those with high risk hobbies, those with a poor driving records or those who have a few too many drinks regularly are in the same situation. I think it really leads to measuring risk in total and setting insurance rates accordingly.

[Andy Fatone]

Interesting story. Very big brotherish, but Scott by and large should have the right to discriminate in its workforce. They will, I suppose, lose some high-value employees who in turn value smoking more than working at Scotts. Of course, it wouldn't be a story if people were responsible for their own health care costs (like Health savings accounts, a good start), and making their own choices about what risky behaviour to indulge in or not. A couple of years ago, I twisted my ankle playing indoor soccer. The company sponsored health insurance picked up most of the doctor's bills. Following the same line of logic, my employer could also prohibit its employees from dirt bike riding, scuba diving, highway driving, etc. We could all commute to work in padded vans....

[Sherri]

I once worked for a large company that charged smokers $25.00 extra each month on their insurance if they smoked. I think that is a wonderful idea for any company to do. I do not think my insurace should go up because someone that works for the same company decides they want to smoke and because ill from doing it. Not all obese people are over weight because of the way they eat. It is sometimes a health problem that they can not help having. Poor drivers pay for their reckless driving by paying higher insurance on their cars. High risk hobbies can injury the person, not the ones around them. Smoking hurts everyone and everyone pays for it regardless if they are the ones smoking or not.