Wow They Are Really Serious - smokers not hired

[LemonIndiscretion]

....About employees not smoking!!!

I just applied for a Student Nurse Associate position at a hospital affiliated with the organization that runs all the big hospitals in my area- (basically everyone in my state who works in healthcare has at one time done some training at one of the hospitals or worked for the hospitals) and even before I even filled out the application online a huge notification pops up that reads something like

ATTENTION YOU MUST ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT TOBACCO USE, as of 1/1/2012 X WILL NO LONGER HIRE USERS OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS

it was in a huge box in big red letters

I just found this interesting because I am a former smoker and just quit about 2 years ago. I want to hear what you guys think.

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

Its hard to take facilities that serve burgers/fries/cola and pizza in their cafeteria seriously when they are banning anything for health reasons.

Even harder to take them seriously when you notice how dirty they let their establishment be, all the while making more and more cuts to maintenance and environmental services.

It is plain to see, there is a hidden agenda that has nill to do with healthcare costs.

I worked at a facility that took the "Smoke Free Campus" campaign very seriously (well, maybe not, you be the judge):

So..........if you call off a lot/have a bad attitude/are over 40/have maxed out your pay scale AND SMOKE.............beware. If you are not in any of those categories, this whole conversation is much ado about nothing.

We all float down here.

Great post! They do not care about our health, and I wish they were just upfront of the reasons, whcih we all know what they are-monetary. I would respect them for it. i am not a smoker and never was and do not like the trend. The nurses who smoke (against the sacred policy) go out at most 1-2 a night. when we are slammed they do not leave to go smoke or any such thing, some people on days do, but you are not really left to do their work, afterall some people sit at the desk while others have heavier assignemnts. it is just as fair to do that as go out and smoke.. .

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

Race, gender, religion- The rest is just nonsense. Employers should be free to hire, or not, anyone they want to regardless of the reason so long as those classes are protected. One is not entitled to a job just because you want it. You have to compete for it, and there may be more competitive candidates. If you are an obese smoker and the people you are competing against are nonsmokers and have BMIs under 35, well then change something to make yourself more competitive or be prepared to not be selected. Jeesh.