How much control should employers have over their employees?

[Mom2be]

I also believe that the discrimination laws should be changed if necessary to address this. The law should make it clear when a company is within it's rights as the one paying the bills and when they go too far and discriminate against those will health issues.

This is interesting because it is a fact that African Americans have are harder time being matched for organ transplants, bone marrow transplants, etc. So if your African American employee gets cancer and is on the list for a bone marrow transplant - do you fire them because it might take years for the match to be found and until then they will be a drain on the healthcare cost? Is that within an employers right or is that discrimination?

I also have to wonder at what point does the company stop? My friend goes snowboarding, skiing, and skydiving - all fairly dangerous sports and has even come back with a couple of broken bones once (idiot fell off the ski lift and no I'm not joking ) does the company have a right to say he can't do that in his free time because his activities come with greater health risk then my trip to Disney World?

~Amanda

 

[Planogirl]

But the same laws that allow us to vote for whom we want and belong to whichever political party we want also allow others to disagree with us.

What we have to remember is that these companies are private, not gov't. They can (in 49 states) fired you for whatever reason they feel like. Likewise, you are free to quit for whatever reason you feel like. I don't see the inequity. They can't force you to work for them and you can't force them to let you work for them.

I agree that we all have the right to our opinions. However this is getting a little bit too close to requiring people to support certain candidates or buying votes which is illegal under certain circumstances if I'm not mistaken. NO ONE should tell someone else who to vote for, not even a boss. JMO.

 

[BuckNaked]

I agree that we all have the right to our opinions. However this is getting a little bit too close to requiring people to support certain candidates or buying votes which is illegal under certain circumstances if I'm not mistaken.

No one told the employee who she could or couldn't support - she was just told she couldn't do it and work there.

NO ONE should tell someone else who to vote for, not even a boss. JMO.

Again, no one did that.

Don't get me wrong, I don't like the situation as described, but I'm believe in business owners being able to run their businesses as they see fit, within the framework of the law, of course.

 

[jennyl772003]

While I don't agree with being able to terminate employees for smoking, I do beleive companies should be able to charge those employees higher rates for insurance. It's costing the company more to insure them, so they are just passing the cost along.

My DH actually works at a company that started doing this this year. If you are a smoker, your premiums are higher. His company also offered a "rebate" on his premiums for taking a wellness class.

 

[malibuconlee]

That's a tough one. I know my teaching contract has a vague clause in there about upright moral conduct and I know it is a way of saying we need to be good role models in the community - I would be one anyways, of course since it is teaching..., but I can see where it would bug some people. But if I had a real problem with it, I could choose a different profession.

Totally off topic, but at least they're no longer as strict as they were when DH's grandmother taught school. She had to quit teaching when she got married as they only allowed single women to teach. She also couldn't "ride around town alone with anyone other than a male relative". Meaning she and grandpa couldn't be alone together in public.

She's 94 now and taught until she got married at the age of 28 or 29.

Oh, how times have changed!!!

 

[Planogirl]

I agree that we all have the right to our opinions. However this is getting a little bit too close to requiring people to support certain candidates or buying votes which is illegal under certain circumstances if I'm not mistaken.

No one told the employee who she could or couldn't support - she was just told she couldn't do it and work there.



Again, no one did that.

Don't get me wrong, I don't like the situation as described, but I'm believe in business owners being able to run their businesses as they see fit, within the framework of the law, of course.

Again, that comes a bit too close to buying votes IMO. Maybe that should be addressed legally.

 

[jgmklmhem]

I agree that we all have the right to our opinions. However this is getting a little bit too close to requiring people to support certain candidates or buying votes which is illegal under certain circumstances if I'm not mistaken. NO ONE should tell someone else who to vote for, not even a boss. JMO.

What about unions...they have been doing this for years.

For arguments sake my boss can tell me how to vote on anything but unless he is in the booth with me he will never know how I really voted.

 

[BuckNaked]

Again, that comes a bit too close to buying votes IMO. Maybe that should be addressed legally.

I'm not getting where you see it coming anywhere near vote buying.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm not getting where you see it coming anywhere near vote buying.

A boss pays an employee for work done but will take away that pay if he supports the wrong candidate; in other words, he is also attempting to pay for the correct vote. Stretching it? Maybe but I'm one that believes in the slippery slope theory and I see nothing but trouble when politics comes into the workplace. What's to stop an avid supporter of a candidate from making campaigning for this candidate a job requirement? Would that be right?

I agree that unions have been doing this too and personally don't like that either. Unions however get lambasted for it on a regular basis.

Of course, none of these people go into the voting booth with us. I just don't think it's right to not allow people to campaign for and support who they wish.

 

[Ronda93]

My employer give a break on premiums if we complete an annual Health Risk Assessment. All self reported, it makes recommendations for changes and reinforces good habits. The break is the same regardless of the answers. Apparently, they just want us to think about it.

I don't have a problem with smokers paying higher premiums. If they were paying their own way with a private policy you can be assured they would be paying more. Just as they pay more for life insurance. Statistically, they are a huge risk and will be priced that way.

 

[eclectics]

If we as a country addressed the real problem here, the outrageously high cost of health care and medicine in this country, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. And no, I don't have a miracle solution, but I do know it's going to take a lot of hard work and compromises from all sides. We are heading rapidly toward the breaking point when no one in this country will be able to afford decent health care and more and more employers will not be able to even offer it anymore. Something has to be done, and soon. This issue has been put on the back burner and it really shouldn't be.

 

[Aidensmom]

If we as a country addressed the real problem here, the outrageously high cost of health care and medicine in this country, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. And no, I don't have a miracle solution, but I do know it's going to take a lot of hard work and compromises from all sides. We are heading rapidly toward the breaking point when no one in this country will be able to afford decent health care and more and more employers will not be able to even offer it anymore. Something has to be done, and soon. This issue has been put on the back burner and it really shouldn't be.

I completely agree with this.