If you smoke, Venice (FL) probably doesn't want to hire you

[FLAprogressive]

VENICE - Smokers need not apply for city jobs under a tough new employment policy the City Council is considering.

Applicants who smoke cigarettes or cigars or chew tobacco will not be considered for employment no matter how much they are otherwise qualified. And potential hires have to sign an oath they do not use any tobacco products and take a drug test to prove it.

The city's new policy to be voted on in a few weeks is an attempt to rein in $4 million in annual health insurance costs, officials said. The policy would not apply to current employees.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20110512/ARTICLE/110519823/2416/NEWS?Title=If-you-smoke-Venice-probably-doesn-t-want-to-hire-you

[Very_Boring_Name]

1. Stinky, dirty, gross

I say good riddance and good for Venice.

[SoCalNative]

4. Except that the politicians who are imposing this

also will include language that makes them exempt from the policy.

[FLAprogressive]

9. +1

[mrmpa]

26. Absolutely, and if this passes they'll meet in the backroom and light

up the cigars.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

16. There are many stinky dirty and gross people

(physically or in their attitude). I'd like them eliminated from my community too:sarcasm:

[Very_Boring_Name]

17. They already are

How many stinky dirty and gross non smokers generally get hired? The fact that 90%+ of smokers are smelly/gross makes this an easy one.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

18. You missed my point

and many conscientious and attractive people who happen to smoke would justifiably take offense at what you have said.

[Confusious]

20. Discrimination is OK

As long as it's the people I don't like? Is that your meaning?

[Very_Boring_Name]

28. Not discrimination if its a choice

I can apply your logic to anything. Not hiring the guy who refuses to wear deoderant is "discrimination", not hiring the guy who has no experience is "discrimination"

[Maine-ah]

31. the problem with this,

is that tobacco products are not illegal.

[Codeine]

41. Pissing your pants and coming to work in them isn't illegal

but I wouldn't hire a person who dibbled in his Dickeys. The legality of the activity isn't the issue.

[dionysus]

32. next we can make sure they don't hire fat people. after all they're "Stinky, dirty, gross"

:sarcasm:

:eyes:

[Very_Boring_Name]

39. Actually, I've found that fat people are much more hygenic then smokers

I've literally never met a smoker who didn't smell like shit.

[dionysus]

43. judging by your posts, you don't seem like the type of person that has any friends.

[Very_Boring_Name]

46. You sound upset

I'm gonna take a wild guess and assume you're a smoker who smells like shit.

[dionysus]

47. no, i am laughing at a supposed "liberal" being a bigoted clown.

[Very_Boring_Name]

49. I call it like I see it

Smokers smell like shit, I don't want them working near me. Simple as that.

[dionysus]

51. so they should be barred from getting jobs? are you that precious?

[Very_Boring_Name]

52. Yes, they're a distraction in the workplace.

[dionysus]

53. then you've just embraced fascism. enjoy your trip!

[Very_Boring_Name]

54. Good argument

Right for the "you're a fascist because you don't think like me" card. How surprising, coming from you :eyes: :sarcasm:

[dionysus]

55. no, a fascist because you want to deny smokers the right to work. try harder.

[Very_Boring_Name]

56. You're a fascist because you want to deny workers the right to work in a clean environment

[dionysus]

58. smoking inside offices has been illegal for years. you're failing.

[Very_Boring_Name]

60. Smelling like shit and bringing third hand smoke into the office, isnt a clean environment. Fascist

[cottonseed]

48. Fatties are too. Plus their healthcare bills are astronomical.

Definitely a "do not hire situation".

[HockeyMom]

2. Then there should be an opt out for health insurance

Solve the problem. Don't ASSUME that all smokers will want, or need, your health care.

[onehandle]

3. I've put applicants into the 'no' pile of resumes for smoking.

Because they stank so bad of cigarette smoke during interviews.

I wouldn't want to subject me or other members of my group to that.

[cottonseed]

50. I'll only hire attractive people. They're just better at closing deals.

You should think about it if you haven't already.

[Sonoman]

5. Who wants to smoke in Venice?

We have waaaaay better smoke out here.

Sonoman

[ZombieHorde]

6. Drug tests for legal drugs.

And the people cheer it.

[uppityperson]

8. Seriously. It is incredible and wrong. If you don't want to use, don't. If you want to get a legal

drug made illegal, do that. But cheering testing for legal drugs? Incredible.

[Blue-Jay]

7. I wonder if they have the same rule for pot smokers?

[jp11]

10. Is there an abstinence pledge coming?

How about a pledge that they won't drink, or eat fast food, or speed, get pregnant/have an abortion, will they ask that all potential employees use electric tooth brushes and floss?

[Bake]

11. And do they have the same rule for alcohol?

How about a WEIGHT rule - can't hire overweight people, no no no, they're prone to heart attacks!!

:smoke:

Bake

[Nye Bevan]

21. I don't take 4 or 5 "beer breaks" per day when I am at work (nt)

[Confusious]

23. 4 breaks would be the federal mandated break law

round about.

[Fla_Democrat]

25. I use to

but I got caught at it.

[Bake]

12. They couldn't pay me enough to live in FL anyway.

Hurricanes. Cockroaches big as your fist and they freakin' FLY too! No seasons except one. And it never snows for Christmas.

Did I mention hurricanes?

To say nothing of the douche they elected governor ...

Bake

[independentpiney]

38. You live in Kentucky lol

I'd take the cucarachas and hurricanes anyday

[WatsonT]

13. I can understand some penalties for smokers

to recoup extra healthcare expenses (and logically that should be applied to heavy drinkers and the overweight as well).

But using the law to prevent people from working for doing something that is perfectly legal in their spare time strikes me as absurd and blatantly un-american.

[ixion]

14. It's discrimination, pure and simple.

[Codeine]

24. All hiring is discrimination.

I discriminate against unpleasant people, idiots, people with offensive tattoos, people with shitty hygiene, people who can't pass our basic math tests, felons, and the like. Every hiring decision is - by definition - a discriminatory decision.

[ixion]

29. You're rationalizing your postion. Good for you.

None-the-less, my premise stands.

[Codeine]

36. You've completely failed to demonstrate why this bit of discrimination

is any more onerous or unjust than any other discriminatory hiring decision. Nobody would blink about the fellow with the swastika tattooed on his knuckle or the person who thinks an AC/DC shirt is appropriate interview wear gettting turned down for a job, so what's the horror about turning down someone who smokes?

[WillyT]

15. It's OK... They Couldn't Afford Me Anyway...

And when they factor in the health costs of the morbidly obese, overweight people will be under the bus as well.

Whatta coutry, eh?

:puke:

[Nye Bevan]

19. Outrageous. They don't want to hire people who take 4 smoke breaks per day

leaving their coworkers to pick up the slack, and who leave a foul-smelling trail in their wake wherever they go when they come back from those breaks?

This is *terrible*.

[Confusious]

22. That would be during the federal mandated break times, right?

And how about those people who wear to much perfume. them too.

And how about the obese. them to.

And how about ......

Discrimination is OK, if it's the people I don't like, or they have habits I don't like.

Isn't the true test of how much you support freedom defending the right of people to do things you don't like?

Some around here are failing.

[PVnRT]

30. Give me a break

Yeah, co-workers have to "pick up the slack" for what? 5-10 minutes? Oh no, the horror!

[dionysus]

34. would you care for a smoke break? see you in 5-10. i'll "pick up the slack"

;)

[progressoid]

40. As a former smoker AND former slack-picker-upper.

I can say that those 5-10 minutes add up quickly.

[WatsonT]

42. 10 minutes per day * 5 days a week * 50 weeks a year (assuming two weeks vacation)

= 2000 minutes.

2000/60 = 33.33 hours.

Or nearly a full work week every year, per smoker, that must be made up by the rest.

And that's assuming only 10 minutes per day, which is a gross under-exaggeration for many.

I don't agree with this law but I understand why people get annoyed with smokers.

[dionysus]

44. they don't get any special break time other people don't get.

[WatsonT]

61. That has not been my experience

no one is following them with a stop watch.

And there is no non-smoking equivalent to a smoke break.

"I say, I feel like standing outside and breathing for 10-15 minutes or so, don't interrupt me."

[dionysus]

33. what if they're smokers who don't smoke at work? someone's got a nasty grudge.

[Very_Boring_Name]

57. Of the top of my head

Going 8+ hours a day without a smoke will lead to agitated/irritated smokers who will likely have a negative impact on the workplace.

[Bonobo]

27. If you have a brain, you don't want to live in Venice, FLA. nt

[TheKentuckian]

35. I think cheerleaders for economic disenfranchisement are scum

If you think anyone is taking too many breaks for whatever reason, then the complaint is too many breaks whether they are smoking, snacking, enjoying the sunshine, living in the bathroom, or whatever.

[dionysus]

45. smokers are not given any more break time than anyone else. it's funny when some "liberals" get to

revel in pure bigotry and feel righteous about it..

i'm a semi reformed smoker, i never smoke in my car, or at work. but sometimes i take a walk around the building. wow, that 5 minutes really adds up, someone needs to pick up the slack for... oh wait. i'm responsible for my own work, not anyone else, and i get it done. i guess it doesn't add up at all ;)

[YellowRubberDuckie]

37. Oh God. Break out the popcorn.

:popcorn:

[LetTimmySmoke]

59. I don't smoke tobacco. But can I still smoke pot?

Don't see it mentioned.