Airlines hiring smokers???

[Sctt@NJA]

I wish someone would sue Alaska airlines. The idea of a company dictating employees behavior off the job is repugnant to me.

Health care costs and sick days? How about a statistical analysis showing that skiers and rock climbers are likely to break bones and miss work. Can a company insist employees not take a ski vacation?

How about red meat and junk food. Can a company regulate your diet?

How about the car you drive? Little red sports cars have higher insurance rates so surely an employee that drives one is more likely to get in an accident and miss work. Can your employeer tell you what kind of cars you can drive?

Since when does anyone have to submit to any kind of test for anything other than illegal substances when that employee has a safety senstive function? (Mandated by federal law)

Enough is enough and I think everyone should be pissed about this stuff.

 

[erj-145mech]

I wish someone would sue Alaska airlines. .

Under what grounds? Its a condition of employment. You agree to it when you apply for a position. Its a private corporation, and they may hire whom ever they wish to.

Good luck on finding an attorney, there's no money in it for them.

 

[Sctt@NJA]

No grounds?

Little history. Once upon a time there were company towns. The streets the houses and businesses were all owned by a single company that ran maybe a factory or coal mine there.

You would think with all the citizens of this town being company employees living on company property that the company could make any rules they like, right? Wrong.

One example is free political speech, like the ability to put up a sign on your front lawn endorsing a political candidate. Since the company owns your lawn as well as your house the company might think they have the right to tell you who you can or cannot endorse with a sign. Wrong again.

Laws were created to protect the employees from a company that might try to control every aspect of an employees life.

The idea that a company can set any rules they like is juvenile. If tomorrow your company made a new policy that to keep your job you had to submit to having video cameras installed in your house so they could monitor your behavior... you don't think there is a lawsuit there if you got fired for refusing??

Employers actually have a responsiblity to act within a social standard. Our laws reflect this. Some company policies, like the Alaska no-smoking policy, are on untested grounds and will only be allowed if we, as a society don't stand up and say NO.

 

[erj-145mech]

Bubba, if you really feel that strong about this issue, then by all means take the bull by the horns and go for it. Keep us informed, because you can be dismissed for failing to comply with company published policies. Thats been upheld by higher courts.

I'm eagerly awaiting the results.

 

[Sctt@NJA]

Just an amazing attitude to me. "Must obey company procedures... whatever they may be"

You would be a fun employee. I would say "pick your nose and eat it or you are fired"

That would be pretty funny to see you believe such a thing to be within my power because I am your almighty employer.

 

[erj-145mech]

Just an amazing attitude to me. "Must obey company procedures... whatever they may be"
.

You must be a real joy to be in the cockpit with on a four day trip, listening to you b!tch, p!ss and moan about every little company rule and regulation that you don't agree with. If a policy is known before the hiring begins, and you don't agree with it, then don't work there, its that simple. There are 17 states that don't have laws about dismissing employees for personal habits away from the workplace.

When you become Czar of the Universe, then you can change that.

Life's too short to let piddly stuff to get your blood pressure up.

 

[Donsa320]

An example of what nicotine addiction can do. F/O's tell me of captains that intentionally taxi slow and give way to other outbounds so that they will have time to smoke 2 cigarettes on the taxi out. The procedure on the DC-9/B-717 is to crack a side window open and manually close the outflow valve so that all the air going out of the side window will drag their cigarette smoke with it. Thus the Flight Attendants won't smell it in the galley. Apparantly the F/A's have more 'nads then the F/O's and will more likely turn them in. The F/O's just put up with the second hand smoke. Pathetic!

DC

 

[Sctt@NJA]

You guys understand that this issue isn't about smoking on the job right? If you like to smoke a cigar with brandy twice a year the Alaska policy says "Give it up or lose your job."

I don't complain about all the company rules I don't agree with. (not more than anyone else anyhow) But this is different.

The "obey or don't work there" argument is worthy of a five year old mind. I am sorry if I sound tedious, but I feel the same way about you.

 

[erj-145mech]

You guys understand that this issue isn't about smoking on the job right? .

Yes we understand that, you seem to have a problem with that. You have a choice, if you choose to use nicotine products, you have chosen not to fly for Alaska Airlines. Do you understand that? Its not rocket science, you're not re-inventing the wheel.

Here's a link to the application, if you don't or can't meet the minimums set forth, don't apply.

https://alaskaairlines.recruitmax.com/ENG/candidates/default.cfm?szCategory=jobprofile&szOrderID=2121&szCandidateID=0&szSearchWords=&szReturnToSearch=1

And if feel that this is unjustified, contact the "Texas Hammer", here:

http://www.jimadler.com/

If IBM offered you a left seat in a brand new G550 for $250k/yr, provided that you abstain from nicotine products, would you whore yourself out for that?

 

[Sctt@NJA]

Oh I have no interest in Alaska. I honestly wouldn't work for a place that thinks they own people.

The CEO of my company happens to be a smoker, so I don't think this particular issue is going to come up where I work.

Interesting that you can only say the same thing over and over without ever responding to some of the hypotheticals I presented earlier.

 

[Sctt@NJA]

One more hypothetical which I am sure will be ignored...

Many people mention insurance costs as justification for this rule. The largest cost increase for your company is likely to be: Getting married and having children.

Under your way of thinking what is to stop a company from insisting on remaining childless and unmarried as a condition of continued employment?

 

[Donsa320]

One more hypothetical which I am sure will be ignored...

Many people mention insurance costs as justification for this rule. The largest cost increase for your company is likely to be: Getting married and having children.

Under your way of thinking what is to stop a company from insisting on remaining childless and unmarried as a condition of continued employment?

Hmm, I think that would be the Catholic Church, no?

 

[Sctt@NJA]

I don't understand. The Catholic church tells corporations what rules they can impose on employees?

I will answer the question.

All of us a society would not allow any company to interject themselves so deeply into our personal lives. This would be accomplished through more than the marketplace. (ie. if you don't like it, don't work there) It would be accomplished through laws. Some laws are on the books, other areas are untested.

The smoking issue is untested. Don't even think for a second that this issue is even about smoking. It is about control and invasion of privacy. The line needs to be drawn and people need to feel some outrage.

If you don't you are a sheep. Or a lemming. Pick your metaphor.

 

[Gorilla]

Scenario: You are hired by Alaska, genuinely free of nicotine. Don't use it, don't care to.

Three years later. "Hmmm, these cigars are really good playing poker with the buds!" Or maybe "A pinch of Skoal is pleasant while I'm out salmon fishing."

Are you now required to tender your resignation? Do you need to hide your vile habit from your chief pilot? If a can of Skoal falls out of your kit bag, will your Captain or a flight attendant turn you in?

These are the issues. Can you be fired for using a legal product in your free time?

 

[Sctt@NJA]

They do random nicotine tests just like drug tests and yes they claim they can fire you for using it.

I don't know the history of it, but I am sure this policy has not always been in effect there. So you could have been hired as a smoker, and then fired after the policy was created because you wouldn't give it up.

At the interview they ask if you have used any tobacco products in the last 6 months. A YES answer means no job.

 

[Gorilla]

They do random nicotine tests just like drug tests and yes they claim they can fire you for using it.

To me, this seems to be something that can be challenged in court, and probably successfully, especially for those who might have been on board before the NO EVIL NICOTINE rule became effective.

The next step, as pointed out by others: "In an attempt to lower health costs, effective 1 JAN 2006, employees who consume fast food, or are heavier than published height/weight tables, or anyone who DARES consume alcohol, will be terminated. Oh yes, sell your motorcycles, or you will be terminated. No skydiving either. Forget SCUBA. Terminated."

 

[Donsa320]

I don't understand. The Catholic church tells corporations what rules they can impose on employees?

I will answer the question.

All of us a society would not allow any company to interject themselves so deeply into our personal lives. This would be accomplished through more than the marketplace. (ie. if you don't like it, don't work there) It would be accomplished through laws. Some laws are on the books, other areas are untested.

The smoking issue is untested. Don't even think for a second that this issue is even about smoking. It is about control and invasion of privacy. The line needs to be drawn and people need to feel some outrage.

If you don't you are a sheep. Or a lemming. Pick your metaphor.

My point was that to WORK as a priest or a nun in the Catholic Church you can't be married or have children. You are a dense one, bud.

 

[Sctt@NJA]

Sorry you weren't very clear about the priest thing. Don't call me dense because you don't write clearly.

It is interesting point. Doesn't really apply though, does it bud? People don't WORK as priests.

Women aren't priests and I believe you would actually have to be Catholic to be a Catholic priest. None of those types of restrictions can be apllied to a JOB.

 

[Draginass]

I liked the billboard by the fitness center in San Francisco with the picture of the alien . . .

When they come . . . they'll eat the fat ones first

 

[macfly]

Ot: is that a picture of a brown recluse on your id gorilla? that thing is fricking heinous! I buddy of mine got lit up by one of those beasts, nasty!

Ok, sorry - back to anti smoking insanity. Next they are going to want to ban MC Ds and krispy kreme cause we are all too damn fat.

i recently stopped smoking and gained 10 pounds, at this rate im not going to be able to fit in a pit and my blood pressure is on the rise. Time to dust off the jogging shows:erm: