Holy Smoke! Employers Refusing to Hire Smokers

A recent trend is developing of late where employers are considering “no smoker” employment policies. These policies go beyond “no smoking in the workplace;” some ban employees from smoking at any time.  Such policies may lower insurance premiums.  Some employers also suggest that these policies cut down on productivity issues due to smoke breaks and high absenteeism due to smoking-related illnesses.  Opponents of these policies argue that they are discriminatory or in violation of privacy laws. This raises an interesting debate.

The legality of non-smoker …

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