Opportunity Up In Smoke

Posted: April 24, 2014 | tobacco | cigarette, heath care, smoking, tobacco | 0 Comments

As if raising the price per pack wasn’t enough of an economic deterrent, nicotine users nationwide can expect to see a growing number of employers screening smokers. While not the first in the nation to do so, news broke about two Detroit-based health care companies that will start denying employment to applicants who smoke in 2013.

Yes, this is legal.

Beaumont and Henry Ford Health will start screening applicants for tobacco use in 2013. If you apply and fail the test, you wont get hired. Furthermore, current employees will be grandfathered in, sort of. While their jobs aren’t in jeopardy, they are no longer allowed to use tobacco on work premises, nor are they allowed to even smell like cigarette smoke. Abuse of the new policy can result in discipline and even loss of your job.

The two companies combined employ over 42,000 people in the Detroit area, making the new policy directly impactful on the Detroit healthcare community.

“We just felt this was the next step to take in terms of being a role model for health and wellness in our community,” said Jay Holden, Beaumont’s vice president of human resources.

Both companies offer free cessation programs to not only employees but their families as well. As an added incentive to stay away from smoking, both companies also discounts on insurance and out-of-pocket expenses to employees who don’t smoke.

With this new policy affecting such a large potion of a major U.S. city, smokers can expect to see similar policies developed in cities around the nation in the coming years.