Workplace Obesity Hiring Ban

Wow, that's sobering...guess I will make a point to get a workout in tonight...just in case. 8-o

Obesity can be a tough battle to fight as there are so many physiological and psychological obstacles that come with excessive weight. However, it is in people's control and it is their responsibility to take care of themselves. I see it no differently than someone choosing to smoke. I'm not saying people choose to be overweight or obese, but they choose the things they put into their bodies.

I'm not saying it is right if its discrimination, but gender and race don't drive up health care costs. Something needs to be done to give people a kick in the pants to lose weight. It's sad to think how obese the children now will be in the future.

You are right, gender and race...you are born with and proud of. Smoking is a choice. And I can see where obesity can be viewed as a choice. I just look at my past and my struggle with weight due to medical issues and it blows my mind. Can you imagine how interviews would go? You get called in for one, "Oh I'm sorry. You sounded thin and normal on the phone. You can just go home now." Will there be signs that say need not apply if you smoke or obese?

I completely agree that weight can be incredibly challenging. The same can be said about quitting smoking. I thought someone made an interesting point to say that perhaps people who are overweight or obese should pay higher health care costs... just like smokers.

Just wait until they can run genetic tests to test your propensity to things like cancer, sickle cell, ALS, MS, or any other genetically tied disease. File marked. insurance set. Forehead stamped.

Another reason for health insurance NOT to be tied to your job in my opinion...

I will say that I am obese but I am also very healthy. The health conditions I do have have nothing to do with obesity, and I am very offended at the thought of companies being able to discriminate based on weight (beyond what they already do... which is apparently not enforceable)

I also agree that smoking is a choice. I haven't seen any hiring bans of smokers (that doesn't mean they don't exist). I HAVE seen smoking being banned in the workplace... and that is a decision I completely agree with. I think half of my visits to the doctor while I was working were for asthma aggravated by walking through a cloud of smoke to get to work!

Also... gender does drive up health care costs. Insurance companies charge more to insure women of child-bearing age... and older men. (Guess who worked in companies I worked at where I had exorbitant health insurance costs?)

I'd hire someone on whether or not they fit the job profile, have or could develop the skills and are going to be cost effective. Businesses are not charities and need to make money. It's wrong to treat people inhumanely but it is right to treat employees as assets.

But beyond "legal", I feel that employers should be treating employees, recruits, shareholders and customers with respect and dignity and they'll end up being successful in the long run.

Wow that's a tough rule "at will". In the UK we have to go though lots and lots of stages to justify terminating someones employment.

Here is my opinion on this, and take it as you will, hopefully not too personal.

I think it is wrong. I think the issue is not with obese people, but with the insurance laws, rules and regulations. Not to mention my complete DISCUST over the Healthcare Bill (which I read!). If the issues were addressed properly we wouldn't need to nickel and dime our hardworking American people.

Let's face it - we're all HERE because we're concerned about our health. Some want to loose, others want to maintain what they've lost and some want to improve their bodies. But, overall we all share the similar goals of wanting to make positive changes for ourselves. So - to me, this isn't an issue of whether or not people should be obsese, I think it's fair to conclude none of us would agree that being obese is healthy. And, again, no offense to anyone who IS obese & reading this, but it isn't healthy and I hope you are working towards making a positive change for yourself.

Now, the issue I have with this regulation - allowing companies to fire/layoff or not hire obese individuals is that we are now FORCING people to comply with a regulation based on personal choice. Does that not violate the Constitution? Do people not have the CHOICE to eat and live as they wish? Whether we agree with their personal lifestyle choices, or not? Are we not the SAME country that allows gay marriage and bans Christmas parties in the classrooms of public schools, because others may be offended? Offended for not being free to make PERSONAL LIFESTYLE CHOICES.

I advocate for people to be a healthy weight but this is beyond that, you have to see the bigger picture.

Think about WHO is the working class in this country. Not people who can afford to get adequate rest, take vacations, purchase healthy foods regardless of cost, hire personal trainers, live stress-free. We are talking about AVERAGE, middle and lower class Americans who show up to work each day exhausted, eatting whatever they could afford on their designated 30 minute lunch break - or, unpaid hour if they're really lucky.

I think that if the government can FORCE individuals to carry insurance and FORCE companies to provide benefits contingent upon employees' health, then I think the government should act in the best interest of its people and REQUIRE mandatory paid time off and adequate opportunites to health clubs, gyms and exercise equipment, as well as educating people on proper nutrition and restricting the use of certain chemicals that companies put into processed foods to add to shelf life.

This makes me VERY angry. Its another avenue to bleed the middle/lower class dry and squeeze us for all that we're worth. This isn't meant as a motivator to get us all in perfect health, its another way for them to cut corners and use us like sheep dogs. Except at least the farmer's paid for the sheepdog's vet bill and fed him healthy foods.

Thank you for posting this and I'm sorry to all of you that this will affect, whether it be loosing a job, healthcare - or the potential hardships you will face as a business owner. Hopefully by the time I'm old enough to run for President we still have a country...

I have no issues with it. After being super morbidly obese I can tell you its a choice. Its a choice to not eat right, its a choice to not exercise. Its a choice that costs all of us in higher medical premiums.

Its not a popular view but we have a obesity epidemic in this country. Something must be done.

My big issue with this, other than the obvious, I'm obese (which did stun me when I found out) and honestly I can work just as hard as the "skinny" girls at work and at my job my weight does not effect any of my job ability (except for fitting into the playland tubes after kids who get stuck lol)...but if companies won't hire obese individuals, will they not, especially the ones with families to support just end up being supported by the state and tax payers?

**and I'm not even going to go into how this is or could be perceived as more freedoms being taken over by the government.

*cringing* I work for a health insurance company and have for 14 years. I am not going to touch on the HealthCare Reform bill (I don't feel warm and fuzzy about it and could spend countless hours complaining about it).

However, I wanted to point something out that has been in existance since the inception of health insurance. If any of you have insurance outside an employer (e.g. self-employed, individual coverage), or work for an employer with fewer than 51 employees, your insurance premiums are already being based on the medical history of yourself and your colleagues. In other words, the rates are set for a particular geographic location (based on cost of healthcare in that area) for an ideal applicant (not overweight, doesn't smoke, etc). However, if you are a smoker, or are overweight, or have certain medical conditions, you are automatically upcharged, and in most instances that upcharge is around 50%.

What's becoming more common place is now larger employers are starting to put in place a similar system to upcharge employees if they smoke, or are overweight. While I can understand their rationale for doing this, it kind of defeats the purpose if your spouse or child (up to age 26 in most cases) that you insure on your policy smokes or is overweight? The employers haven't developed a process for upcharging them, but I am sure that is in the works too.

oooh. and I should add that we have things like "work choices" where employers have to give a reason for dismissal. everyone gets a 3 - 6 month probation, where if either employer or employee are unhappy with the work they can walk away with no problems in that 3 - 6 month probation. and that's a national thing.

I just find discrimination against anyone just. ugh. Imagine things like depression and the like will rise, the overweight people who aren't strong of mind, or can't fix it will be in a never ending spiral.

I really don't like it.

Honestly, this feels like a red herring issue. Yes, people are going to get all riled about about it because it touches on hot button topics like health insurance and obesity. But is this a real issue? Once, my co-workers and I all got our premiums increased because an employee's wife got breast cancer. She certainly didn't choose to get cancer. Should cancer survivors be banned from the workplace due to health care costs?

I honestly can't muster up the energy to get upset. I take it for granted that my health insurance company is going to screw me over. They're about the bottom line and the bottom line is money.