Restive State

It seems that our lives outside of work are no longer safe. Weyco Inc. just recently fired 4 employees over their refusal to quit smoking. Not because of bad job performance, mouthing off to the CEO, or smoking while on the job, but smoking at all. Their CFO said something to the effect of "they can smoke, but not smoke and work here." To me, this brings up huge warning signs. The question of where the employee's privacy ends/begins and how far into that realm the employer can reach is paramount. What's next? Banning beer and alcohol? Maybe fried chicken and low-rise pants.

What realy irks me is the reasoning behind it all. While the company maintains that they want "healthy" workers, the things that are hidden from view are the real reason. First, smokers cost more. In terms of insurance premiums and average costs of care they are more than non-smokers. Second, along those lines, they can be less productive due to lost time due to illness. So what it really boils down to is money. Cold hard cash and the bottom line. The company really didn't care about the workers, they cared that they could reduce the expenditures for health care premiums and costs.

Our sciety has become so obsessed with social engineering that we've lost sight of essential rights. It is our right as individuals to do stupid things, right or wrong. Too many places are enacting legislation that does the social engineering for us, call it social engineering by proxy. People, given the opportunity are smart enough to do the right thing, although they usually don't because it is never the easiest thing to do. But what you and I do when we are not at work shouldn't matter. If I come to work and do the best job I can, but eat red meat, smoke heavily and engage in unsafe sex outside of work, that's my deal and I'm going to have to deal with the consequences of my actions. It is not my employer's right to tell me that I can't do those things. Especially if it is only to help their bottom-line. If I'm negligent or incompetent at my job beacuse of it, then yes, go for it, if not, leave me alone. Losing my job because of those things shouldn't have to be a major worry on my mind.

Tell me what you think...