Smoking Discrimination in the Workplace: On and Off the Clock

• Overview
• Agenda
• Faculty
• Credits

Driven by reports that smokers file more health insurance claims and are absent more frequently than nonsmokers, a growing number of employers have implemented programs to minimize the number of smokers in its workforce. These employer programs range from offering quit smoking programs to refusing to hire smokers and even terminating smokers. Privacy advocates argue an employer's interest in the smoking habits of applicants and employees ends at the employer's property line, and that an employer has no business regulating whether applicants or employees smoke off-duty, away from the employer's premises. They caution that if an employer can regulate an individual's off-duty smoking habits at home or even on vacation, the 'slippery slope' could lead to an employer's regulating employees' eating habits, exercise programs and other aspects of their lives.

In this live audio conference, we will discuss the legal considerations an employer must evaluate in determining whether to regulate its employees' tobacco use.

Faculty

Michael J. Soltis, Jackson Lewis LLP

Registration

To register for this live audio conference please dial 1-866-411-6211.