Boycott Scotts Due to Smoking Policy

[PrincessPeach]

Of course the trump card here is that Ohio is a "fire at will" state. Companies that hold such a policy will find it upheld in court.

That's true. I don't think anyone here is seriously arguing that Scotts isn't within their legal rights. Smoking is not one of the exceptions to the at-will employment termination rights (as are things such as age, race, national origin, sex, religion, etc.).

That isn't going to stop people from trying to raise legal claims. Even if Scotts prevails in all legal action, they will still spend money defending the claims.

The point behind this thread, though, wasn't to point out illegal hiring/firing practices. It was simply to urge a boycott of the products by those who don't agree with the policy.


Edit -

The point isn't what they can and can't do... its should they be doing it?

Yeah, what he said.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

many corps actually have medical data.. on smokers and overweight...

Goodyear HDQ has its own medical facility and also a top shelf fitness facility... the fitness facility was justified using summary data from the medical facility... I was at an executive presentation forever ago... the fitness facility was well over a half mil per year... but anticipated expense savings and productivity improvements (not missing work, etc..) was many times more than that... so they have duplicated this in many locations...

but this data exists in many different arenas... and it does show vast differences... every health care and insurance operation has the data in spades... I'm sure you could find it on the web...

this debate CANNOT be won using the non-validity of the higher expenses for these target groups... but the debate can continue if focusing on whether your own personal time is your own...

 

[AKAK]

It was simply to urge a boycott of the products by those who don't agree with the policy.

Which is goint to annoy me... because, well... I used a different brand last year... --sucked.

 

[StooGrimson]

Teh NFL can't test for Human Growth hormone either... so the fuck what.

If the policy says, you can't engage in risky sex... and you turn up on a CDC syphillis list, they could then fire you and cancel your insurance.

The point isn't what they can and can't do... its should they be doing it?

People don't get banned from this board for being morons... but we could.

How does a syphillis test prove one engaged in risky sex? You could test positive for syphillis, crabs, herpes, and AIDS and that's hardly proof one has engaged in risky sex, as the test only proves one caught something and not exactly how it was transmitted. Maybe your husband/wife banged some dude/chick on the side and lied to you. It's not like significant others are always loyal and honest. Or you could always catch it from a tractor too...*

*Please note this is a Seinfeld reference and not serious.

 

[AKAK]

this debate CANNOT be won using the non-validity of the higher expenses for these target groups... but the debate can continue if focusing on whether your own personal time is your own...

Is anyone arguing that they don't cost more?

 

[GoBucks89]

Nobody is questioning the idea that "smokers" tend to generate higher health-care expenses. But expenses for whom? The treatments they require are covered by insurance, and the insurance companies charge a premium for their coverage. Yes, the premium is higher than it would be if it weren't for smokers, but that will not change if one company eliminates smoking. The premium rates are based on the entire population, not just one company. Scotts will continue to pay for the harmful effects of smoking because those expenses are built into their premiums. Nothing will change.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

Nobody is questioning the idea that "smokers" tend to generate higher health-care expenses. But expenses for whom? The treatments they require are covered by insurance, and the insurance companies charge a premium for their coverage. Yes, the premium is higher than it would be if it weren't for smokers, but that will not change if one company eliminates smoking. The premium rates are based on the entire population, not just one company. Scotts will continue to pay for the harmful effects of smoking because those expenses are built into their premiums. Nothing will change.

The year is 2004.
Ohio State football sucks.
One player decides he is tired of sucking.....he wants to play balls to the wall and kick the shit out of Michigan.
That player..........Troy Smith.

Troy grabs his helmet and gets ready to run onto the field for Ohio State's last home game of the 2004 season. Right as he reaches the opening to the tunnel......Jim Tressel grabs him and says:

Nobody is questioning that we are playing under our abilities. We have a lot of good individual players on this team. Yes, we would be a better team if we all played together as a cohesive unit, but that will not change if one player decides to play the game of his life. The game's outcome is based on the entire team, not just one player. You playing the game of your life wont change anything.

Troy Smith understands that it is futile to try because one player can't make a difference. Ohio State loses to michigan, 90,000,000,000 - 0.

 

[AKAK]

Nobody is questioning the idea that "smokers" tend to generate higher health-care expenses. But expenses for whom? The treatments they require are covered by insurance, and the insurance companies charge a premium for their coverage. Yes, the premium is higher than it would be if it weren't for smokers, but that will not change if one company eliminates smoking. The premium rates are based on the entire population, not just one company. Scotts will continue to pay for the harmful effects of smoking because those expenses are built into their premiums. Nothing will change.

They can cut a better deal by saying they don't have smokers... but they also limit their labor pool... now... I don't know what their labor cross section looks like, and maybe they can get away with it... They other cost they are going to pay is training the people who replace the smokers, as well as the cost of losing that expereince. At a white collar company, this would be prohibitive

 

[StooGrimson]

Nobody is questioning the idea that "smokers" tend to generate higher health-care expenses. But expenses for whom? The treatments they require are covered by insurance, and the insurance companies charge a premium for their coverage. Yes, the premium is higher than it would be if it weren't for smokers, but that will not change if one company eliminates smoking. The premium rates are based on the entire population, not just one company. Scotts will continue to pay for the harmful effects of smoking because those expenses are built into their premiums. Nothing will change.

Eh, if the company is self insured it certainly could affect premiums simply b/c self insured companies (like mine) have the ability to monitor patient care costs more closely b/c they're actually paying them directly. There are more self insured companies than people realize and Scotts could be one of them. Will premiums go down? Hell no, simply b/c the cost of care is constantly increasing. However, the decline in smoking related care could lessen the almost certain rise in premiums.

 

[GoBucks89]

The year is 2004.
Ohio State football sucks.
One player decides he is tired of sucking.....he wants to play balls to the wall and kick the shit out of Michigan.
That player..........Troy Smith.

Troy grabs his helmet and gets ready to run onto the field for Ohio State's last home game of the 2004 season. Right as he reaches the opening to the tunnel......Jim Tressel grabs him and says:

Nobody is questioning that we are playing under our abilities. We have a lot of good individual players on this team. Yes, we would be a better team if we all played together as a cohesive unit, but that will not change if one player decides to play the game of his life. The game's outcome is based on the entire team, not just one player. You playing the game of your life wont change anything.

Troy Smith understands that it is futile to try because one player can't make a difference. Ohio State loses to michigan, 90,000,000,000 - 0.

Ok, so now you're playing the "Scotts is taking up the banner of better health and leading us all into a brighter future" card?

 

[Guy Incognito]

great news. People who are stupid enough to smoke in this day and age deserve what ever society tells them. I love it when dumb smokers (are smokers ever intelligent?) talk about their rights. Hmm...people dont have the right to spit in somebodys face in public...why would they have the right to smoke in your face?


Smoke all you want at home and stop whining about the publics wishes just because you are too weak willed to quit.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

Ok, so now you're playing the "Scotts is taking up the banner of better health and leading us all into a brighter future" card?

Uh, not even close? I'm playing the "it's stupid to say 'why even try, it's only one company. you won't make a difference'" card.

 

[AKAK]

great news. People who are stupid enough to smoke in this day and age deserve what ever society tells them. I love it when dumb smokers (are smokers ever intelligent?) talk about their rights. Hmm...people dont have the right to spit in somebodys face in public...why would they have the right to smoke in your face?


Smoke all you want at home and stop whining about the publics wishes just because you are too weak willed to quit.

All employers announce that they are firing all internet assholes because they raise everyone's blood pressure and increase health insurance costs. Corporations hope that this will cause the assholes in question to pawn their computers and go back to insulting [other] homeless people.

 

[Dryden]

great news. People who are stupid enough to smoke in this day and age deserve what ever society tells them. I love it when dumb smokers (are smokers ever intelligent?) talk about their rights. Hmm...people dont have the right to spit in somebodys face in public...why would they have the right to smoke in your face?

Smoke all you want at home and stop whining about the publics wishes just because you are too weak willed to quit.

The point is that Scott's is telling their employees that they cannot smoke at home either.

Those in poorer health and at higher risks for recurring, expensive medical procedures should pay a disproportionately higher percentage of their employer's health plan costs from their salary. This is not the issue here, though.

 

[PrincessPeach]

great news. People who are stupid enough to smoke in this day and age deserve what ever society tells them. I love it when dumb smokers (are smokers ever intelligent?) talk about their rights. Hmm...people dont have the right to spit in somebodys face in public...why would they have the right to smoke in your face?


Smoke all you want at home and stop whining about the publics wishes just because you are too weak willed to quit.

That's about the funniest shit I've read all day...