University of Pennsylvania health system to stop hiring tobacco users as of July 1

[Clara Oswald]

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
February 19, 2013 - 4:40 pm EST

PHILADELPHIA — The University of Pennsylvania's health system says that beginning this summer people who use tobacco products will no longer be hired.

A notice on the Philadelphia-based health system website's career page says that as of July 1, the system will cease hiring tobacco users as part of efforts to improve the health of all employees and reduce health care costs.

The ban applies to all locations of the Philadelphia-based system except those in New Jersey.

Vice president Judy Schueler told WCAU-TV that officials want to not only educate patients on healthy lifestyles but serve as a model for the community.

Schueler said employees won't be tested for tobacco use, as some employers with similar bans do, but evidence that an employee lied may result in "discipline for falsification of application."


Source: The Republic

To me, this seems like discrimination. I don't smoke, but who are they to tell people they can't?

What do you all think?

 

[s_k]

Seems like a bad trend to me.
What will be the next thing I wonder? Which other bad habits people may have will they ban in the future?

If they are worried about the health of their employees they should offer help to make them stop smoking instead.
(Perhaps they are doing that too, I don't know how this usually works)

/SK

 

[Rampage]

FAIL. Next will be obesity tests or discrimination against ethnic minorities who do not live as long.

It will not survive the legal challenges is my guess.

 

[Karma]

I saw this beginning to happen @ my previous job in the gov't. it started w/ health benefits & them charging tobacco users exhorbitantly higher rates UNLESS the completed a tobacco cessation program (& obtained a certificate) & passed mandatory/random screenings for the following enrollment term. they were pushing to the point that they were going to disenroll any tobacco users & not allow them to have health insurance through all levels of gov't (local, state & fed) "in an effort to contain costs"

i'm a non-smoker & while I dont think its a health habit to have....it's not my place to control what someone else wants to do.

i DO think if a person chooses to smoke knowing the health risks they should be prepared to pay higher health insurance rates & perhaps those permiums will motivate them to quit....but to deny them employment? that's just as bad as denying somebody employment b/c of a credit score or, as Garrick said, theier weight or their ethnicity (& whatever health risks might be typical of said ethnicity) OR companies asking you if you have a facebook & if so, your name & password!? really?