Stupid q's: Has smoking cigarettes kept you from getting a job?

Nurses Activism

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Do any of you smoke cigarettes? And has it kept you from getting a job?

Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

ASH - EMPLOYMENT POLICIES AGAINST HIRING SMOKERS Section B covers what is truly, by the letter of the law, the protected classes of discrimination. NOT saying I disagree with you about what your state may say, linking this to give an idea of who protected classes are for reference when people toss around the term discrimination.

I happen to live in a state where employers are not allowed to "discriminate" against smokers. I found out one day while reading one of the state labor laws posters. Guess it depends on how much big tobacco contributes to the local economy/government. Interestingly enough, many of our hospitals have no smoking on-the-premises policies.
Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

It may be observed that four of the five grounds of unlawful discrimination -- race, sex, age and handicap -- all represent conditions outside an employee's control, and might be described as immutable characteristics which he or she could not change even if wished. Discrimination on such grounds would be unjust and illegal. Discrimination on grounds of religion would violate the fundamental constitutional protection for religious freedom.

That is taken from the article I posted

Hmmm. You can choose things like religion so how is smoking different?
LOL, discrimination applies to sex, race, etc. ie: PROTECTED class. CHOOSING to smoke doesn't give someone that

You are absolutely right. And not to be argumentative, it IS a choice. A personal choice, just like any other personal choice. Another personal choice would be the kind of car you drive or how a person CHOOSES to drink their coffee. None of the above a protected classes yet when a Jeep driver applies for a job, they aren't given an emissions test nor to make sure they are getting good mileage.

Specializes in geriatrics.

Actually, smoking is an addiction. Not a choice necessarily. Nicotine is a drug. Food is another addiction for some people. The list is endless.

Specializes in (Nursing Support) Psych and rehab.

Do you also test for other drugs? What if someone isn't a smoker but they have a major drug problem? Reason I ask is cause I live in Colorado, right by Rose Hospital where that surgical technologist got caught a few years ago, switching her used needles that she used to shoot up with hospital needles and ended up infecting patients with hepatitis. I just thought if the hospital was administering drug tests that wouldn't have happened.

I actually do, if the client orders that service. Hopefully healthcare facilities routinely have employees drug tested, but that is sick. I hope she is in jail and unable to hold a license anymore

.....They always STINK when tjey come back in. It's just plain nasty.

I smoke and 9 times out of 10, someone I just meet has no idea that I do. There are steps any smoker can take that will insure that they don't trail it around with them like Pig Pen. I'm not talking about drowning yourself in perfume or cologn, which is just as "stinky". But what about the people out there who just don't bathe or have questionable personal hygene? What about those that don't smoke, but insist on wearing too much cologne or perfume? Their oder is just as offensive.

If they wont hire based on smoking, then they should also include the drinkers---socially or not, it's still a dangerous thing! Granted, I quit smoking two years ago and only use an e-cig that's just rough. I get their reasons (after all they are a business and money is the bottom line) but there are other issues other than smoking that needs to be used as a disqualifier.

Specializes in geriatrics.

If the government truly cared about their nation's health, they would prohibit the manufacture and sale of tobacco, AND offer everyone the patch. That's never going to happen, so disqualifying smokers from employment is very hypocritical.

Specializes in Operating Room.

One of the big hospital systems around here will not hire smokers anymore. States that fact right in the application. Several of the hospitals are union too, so they can use the fact that you smoke against you.

Specializes in Med-Surg.

I smoked when I was hired as a nurse. It wasn't even brought up in the interview. The hospital offered a smoking cessation program that was free for employees. I completed it and am 1.5years smoke free!

I actually do, if the client orders that service. Hopefully healthcare facilities routinely have employees drug tested, but that is sick. I hope she is in jail and unable to hold a license anymore

I actually had to look it up to find out what happened to her. I also made a mistake she was actually trying to switch the needles she had stolen off the cart to shoot herself up with, with new needles,not the other way around, but she lost track of which needles she was using. So I guess she wasn't intentionally trying to give patients hepatitis like I thought. Not that it matters, what she did was wrong. Anyways here's an article about what happened to her Federal Appeals Court Rejects Sentence Reduction For Former Surgery Tech « CBS Denver

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

My hospital introduced a policy banning smoking on hospital property. I have absolutely no problem with this, as it keeps people from taking excessive breaks and stinking to high heaven when they come back. However, they will shortly be implementing a policy requiring a nicotine test to be hired. If positive, the person must wait 6 months before they can apply again. I don't think it's right that a hospital policy should be able to regulate what an employee can do on his/her own time. On the hospital property, fine, what they say goes. In my own house, my rules rule. Fortunately, (a) the policy doesn't affect current employers; and (b) I don't smoke, although I wonder what they'll go after next? The fact that I don't exercise three times a week and occasionally have pizza for dinner or a glass of wine? Everything is all about the almighty dollar these days.

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