"BETHLEHEM, Pa. - St. Luke’s Hospital and Health Network plans to stop hiring people who are smokers, saying it hopes to improve the health of its 7,000 employees and reduce health costs. Beginning May 1, all prospective employees will be screened for nicotine and will be ineligible for a job if they test positive. Anyone rejected may take the test again in six months. Current employees will not be affected. Bob Zimmel, senior vice president of human resources, said the policy will be good for business as well as health, since it will reduce health insurance claims."
—
Bethlehem hospital to stop hiring smokers | Philadelphia Inquirer | 03/31/2010
Wow—while I hate smoking and tried to get my staff to stop that did—i’m not sure I would want to work for a company that was this aggressive with testing of new employees. Will this increase productivity and cut costs as it is expected to “be good for business” or will this alienate staff and put the fear of big brother in them? Shouldn’t firms be pro-employee and pro-rights for their employees? At Apple, we believe in “assuming positive intent” and we seem to be doing well for ourselves.
