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lurch76

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 2, 2013
166
0
I have been looking for a new job over the last month and it has surprised me how many places now include tobacco in their drug testing policy. I am guessing this is a back door approach to prohibition. I knew hospitals were doing this, but I have found other types of jobs are starting this as well.

 

salmonfisher

Can't Leave
Feb 12, 2014
331
0
Wow, I have heard of lawsuits against marijuana tests. It always amazes me how corporations do indeed make their way into our private lives.

 

johnnyiii

Can't Leave
Nov 30, 2013
320
7
hertford nc
Insurance Insurance Insurance ... Its obviously about the money. That's ok Pot smokers have paved the trail for beating that it you find one coming up.
I would believe though your point is more in the line of "its none of your business". Maybe we should all move to Colorado or even better make a pipe smokers only state. We wouldn't want to get mixed up with that other smoking crowed. Since he aint around to say no I vote Lawrence as Governor.
BTW ... Much Good Luck with the hunt!

 

northernneil

Lifer
Jun 1, 2013
1,390
1
If a company is that much against tobacco, they are more than likely not a company you would want to work for. Take it as a sign and find something else.

 

zekest

Lifer
Apr 1, 2013
1,136
9
Northernneil speaks wise words, as hard as it is to accept the "look someplace else" message in this market of so few jobs.

 

lurch76

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 2, 2013
166
0
That is true. The search has been slow and frustrating. The ironic part is, is that I worked for a health insurance company for the last 10 years. That is most of my working background.

 

datascalabash

Lurker
Aug 6, 2009
30
5
I LIKE "NorthernNeil's" way of looking at it...
Data's Calabash here...and as I remember one of my business classes from my recently (June 2012) completed two-year business degree program stating, "if a firm that wants you to work for them ever does something that goes against your personal beliefs, and especially if that "something" is morally offensive or even illegal in any way from your viewpoint, it's best to refuse to comply".
The PRECISE likelihood of having one's tobacco enjoyment (remember, when it's me writing here, I'm talking about pipes and cigars with unaltered [completely natural] tobacco, and NOTHING else!) being micromanaged by a potential employer is a VERY risky thing for any employer to even contemplate doing, as such a policy can not only be offensive, but even ILLEGAL as a potential form of discrimination according to Federal (AND many U.S. states') labor laws.
I've written here before in our forum about HOW illegal that would be concerning any Native American tribal ethnicity that uses tobacco in its culture, out of the some 500+ Federally recognized tribes, the ones living east of the front range of the Rockies are likely to have a substantial number of tribal groups that would be classified as "tobacco culture" or a similar term, that could never be discriminated against with such a misguided employer policy targeted at micromanaging details of a potential job candidate's away-from-the-office personal lifestyle choices.
The whole thing that this thread is about seems to be like the sort of situation that someone from a tobacco-shunning ethnicity or religious belief that OWNS a firm, or is a business manager of some sort for firm could impose on their employees, or use as a deciding factor in who gets hired. That sort of "profiling" against tobacco users would be just as illegal under Federal labor law as the previous paragraph's situation with Native Americans who have a tribal affiliation that is considered of a "tobacco culture" nature.
Firms like Humana, Wegmann's, and even a local home electronics chain just south of Boston have placed such ill-advised "24/7/365" bans against tobacco use for ALL of their employees...I would NEVER work for, OR do business with such a firm, partly as a protest against such idiotic micromanagement (most all of us have heard of "boycotts" before), and any commercial firm or organization that DOES do that sort of micromanagement-driven profiling of their employees MUST be called out for it any time it's encountered, "loud and clear" and boycotted, avoided AND in any other civilly-accepted, peaceful manner that our society allows.
In closing, this issue is something I will NEVER tolerate from any firm that wants to hire me, as I know it's the exact sort of thing that IS illegal, and I will ALWAYS refuse to do business with any firm that I find out is pulling this sort of micromanaging nonsense on its workforce.
Yours Sincerely,

Data's Calabash

 

anglesey

Can't Leave
Jan 15, 2014
383
2
I'm so glad I live in the UK sometimes. Free healthcare, so nobody bothering with tests etc. I've had I have no idea how many jobs and I've never been drug tested or tobacco tested for one, nor have I heard of anyone having it done, unless they were a soldier or a police officer or whatever.
What I do in my own time is my business, if they tried to do that where I worked, I'd resign.

 

irish

Lifer
Aug 12, 2011
1,121
6
Texas
I work in the oilfield and have all my life. I have been drug tested since 1987 and I have been nicotine tested since 1999. If you test positive for any controlled substance you are dimissed imediately and if you test positive for Nicotine you are charged a extra charge per month for your "tobacco use" by our insurance company. It doesn't matter if you smoke cigs, cigars, pipes or dip or chew. If you test positive for nicotine you pay the extra. Just a part of life for us in the oil patch and has been for a while. :crazy:

 

anglesey

Can't Leave
Jan 15, 2014
383
2
They're paid by the government the same as the forces and other such jobs. Some of its outsourced to private companies, and it's not a great system since it's so inefficient, but at least our tax rates don't vary depending on our lifestyle.

 

apatim

Can't Leave
Feb 17, 2014
497
0
Jacksonville, FL
How does your government obtain revenue for use in paying them? I guess I'm just a little dubious when I hear that "anything" is free. This is something that we were told about our new system - ObamaCare - but my insurance rates went up over 60% with the new system. That is a huge jump in premiums for me. I had a friend tell me that he is now getting "free" healthcare and I quickly explained to him that it looks like I am paying for his healthcare with the increase in my premiums.

 

anglesey

Can't Leave
Jan 15, 2014
383
2
It's taken out of income tax. Tobacco duty is also rather high in the UK. When I say free, I just mean if i got stabbed/cholera/run over by a car, I wouldn't have to worry about whether my insurance would cover it. I.e, if breaking bad was set in the UK, walter white wouldn't have to sell meth to pay for his treatment.
You can pay for private healthcare if you want, but there's not really much point. It's by far in a way not a perfect system, but at least people don't have to worry about when they get ill or in an accident. In England, you have to pay for medical prescriptions and things, but that's it. Here in Wales, we still get them free.

 

apatim

Can't Leave
Feb 17, 2014
497
0
Jacksonville, FL
Cool... thanks for that info! BTW, not that you are in Ireland but my daughter and her husband are planning a trip there in August and my wife and I are considering planning a trip to either Ireland or Scotland sometime next year (depending on what my kids have to say about their trip to Ireland, London and Paris - LOL).
If you have any helpful info regarding either Ireland or Scotland, please PM me. We (my wife and I) don't want to just get a "tourist" view of the things... we like to take our time, drive around and get to know the people (real life, so to speak).
Again, thanks much!!

 

anglesey

Can't Leave
Jan 15, 2014
383
2
Ahh I love Scotland, it's my favourite place in the world. My knowledge of Scotland is mainly on the northwest coast and the Hebrides area, but I've been all over. I know what you mean, nowhere nicer to drive round and just kind of relax and see things, if you can get over the rain. Do feel free to ask if you've any questions at all, I could talk about it till the cows come home :)

 

dochudson

Lifer
May 11, 2012
1,635
12
Funny, every time I go to the hospital to visit family or take my daughters for their appointments, there are bunches of nurses and doctors gathered at the door smoking cigarettes like freight trains, lol.
Michael
most if not all hospitals in Ohio and I worked for a large group of them out of Columbus have a no smoking on campus policy. includes in your car while parked even at the remote lots.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
I'm hoping the pendulum will swing back to staking out territory for personal privacy. I guess I have to

comply with rules that say others do not have to breathe (or even remotely smell) my pipe smoke, but it

seems that what I do legally on my own time, out of the public domain, ought to be my own business.

We are approaching the place where there is no sphere of privacy at all, given that our electronic devices

reveal our location at all times, and our communications on them spells out our opinions, consumer habits,

social and political connections, and nearly everything else about us. So where is, what is, or is there any,

privacy? People are both social and solitary creatures. Now we're social, but solitary is becoming next to

impossible, and this may be a health hazard in itself.

 
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