If a story from the Boston Globe is to be believed, then at least one company is on the way to destroying health insurance in America. Lawncare giant, Scott's, apparently has a policy that precludes any employee from smoking -- including off the job. Why are they acting as Big Brother? I can only surmise that they know what smoking does for the health of an employee and they don't want to pay for a smoker's health care, especially as they get older and the problems persist.
I'm not in favor of smoking, but I'm less in favor of legislating a person's private life. If the company is allowed to maintain such draconian policies, the measures will be replicated elsewhere. There's no telling where such actions would stop. Do you eat eggs? Well, you can't anymore because the cholesterol contributes to heart disease. Work somewhere else? It's not our problem no one else will hire you either. If that's Scott's policy, then they should simply not offer health coverage at all. Then, only employees who can afford to self-insure would work there. Competitive disadvantage? Of course, but that's they're bed. If smoking were illegal, that would be a different story. Drinking alcohol is legal, but driving while intoxicated isn't, and if I were to do that and get caught, an employer has a right to be concerned. But I wouldn't want to work for a company that is dictating my legal actions outside of the office.
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