Where do is it end?
I'm an employer, who had family members pass away from obesity complications. (EXAMPLE ONLY)
Can I discriminate based on visually perception of health? Can I "drug" test my employees to ensure their cholesterol levels are in check? I mean it would push up my health insurance premiums so i'm justified in hiring based on my perceptions of lifestyle validity, right?
It's a legal commodity that has been proven to produce unhealthy side effects, but it's STILL LEGAL! So stop creeping towards Illegal and make it so or get off my back!
Cheese Burgers and Fries have ALSO been LINKED to health problems, but I can't socially ostracize a fat person and have it be publicly acceptable.... yet.
I can't even choose not to hire that same person (who chooses an unhealthy lifestyle of high cholesterol and fatty foods) because it would be discrimination. Furthermore, most would see this as a non-issue all-together. Why does what I choose to eat, have anything to do with work and hiring....
because as much as you think that what we do doesnt affect our work is not true. for example I was a 2 pack a day smoker for many years. I hardly missed worked but I caught bronchitis several times a year. all due to smoking. I showed up at work but I wasnt able to work as good as if I was healthy. I have quit smoking and I hardly get bronchitis now.
now the problem is my weight and high cholesterol. I walk a lot and do a lot of heavy lifting. my cholesterol medication was making my legs ache and cramp up. if you think being overweight and having high cholesterol wont affect your work then you are dreaming.
companies are pushing a healthier lifestyle. not because they care about their employees but because a healthier employee on average works better than one with "little" problems like mine. if companies could get away with hiring employees that were fit and healthy according to whatever fad stats are in now, they would. they only reason they dont is because of the threat of lawsuits.
now I do my work but this thread makes me think if I could lose a few lbs I could do it faster. I still do it within company standards, but when i walk in looking like I am about have a heart attack (sarcasm font didnt work), it makes me wonder how in the heck do I still have a job, If it was my company I would have fired myself.
semp
