Bosses really don’t want their employees to smoke. Not necessarily because they care about the health and well-being of their workers, but because they’d rather not spring for the expenses to cover copious sick days or hospital stays that spring from complications spawned by cancer sticks.

The San Francisco Chronicle compiles the harsh smoking punishments meted out by employers:

*Macy’s, Gannett and PepsiCo all stick admitted tobacco users with monthly or annual premiums for health care coverage, reaching as high as $50 a month.

*Union Pacific and Scotts Miracle-Gro won’t hire smokers.

Smokers cost employers 18 percent more than non-smokers, providing incentives for suits to coax employees away from cigarettes. But unions aren’t happy with those who choose to punish smokers for their addictions rather than reward those who don’t. Says a union rep with an organization that represents New York workers:

“Some people like the carrot, and some like the stick. I wish Macy’s had stuck with carrots.”

What does your boss do to curtail smoking?

Employers getting tougher with smokers [San Francisco Chronicle]
(Thanks, Torchwood!)

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