01-27-2005, 04:34 AM
DeeBye,Jan 25 2005, 08:51 PM Wrote:http://www.wral.com/news/4126577/detail.html
Granted, employees of a health benefits company should know better. Let's all agree that smoking is really, really bad for you. Now that that's out of the way, how can a company fire someone for doing something completely legal, on their own time?
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This was on the news today. What the article fails to mention is that, not only has the company provided benefits and aid to help their employees quit smoking, they ALSO gave them 15 months advance notice. This was not sprung on them suddenly - it was known about for over a year.
Suddenly, I can't feel nearly as much sympathy as I initially did. Give them aid to quit smoking and 15 months advance notice? That's more than most companies would give.
Oh, and one more thing: those four employees that got "fired"? Nope, they left of their own volition. They four agreed, on their own, to make a stand and quit because they didn't agree with the policy. So far, no one has been FIRED, although people have quit on their own.
Yeah, like I said, suddenly I don't have nearly as much sympathy. And as for lawsuits? I don't see any succeeding, although they already have had their lawyers look over the policy well in advance.
Roland *The Gunslinger*