In UK: Man Fired For Smoking At Home

[Diva]

A man was actually fired from his job when it was learned that he smoked (http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/england/newsid_1657000/1657624.stm) at home. I do not smoke. I prefer not to be around people who smoke. But, I won't lose a friendship over it. The paper cites that the US has used a breathalizer to insure an employee has not smoked. I have yet to hear of one case in which that happened. I love the media. Really. :rolleyes:

The company was in Swindon, England.

[Diva]

Eh hem... As I was saying. When is it too much? Do you think a job should be able to dictate what a person does in their own home?

*cough* Joe? * cough*
*cough* Red? * cough*

[Villager]

Right or wrong, the guy signed a contract with the express terms that he did not smoke, as it was evidently very important to the company that he did not. Legally, the company is the innocent party here, as the man breached the contract, not them.

He makes a living with a term included that he doesn't smoke, why should he be allowed to break that agreement? Companies have feelings too..

[Diva]

Vill, this was at home. Do you think that a company has the right to go into peoples' personal lives? Someone could be a non smoker but an alcoholic. When a company has a 'No Smoking' policy... it is usually the workplace. If there is a good employee who chooses to do something on their spar time I cannot see the rationale in firing them for time when they have no control over.

[Villager]

I'm not arguiing the morality, Diva.

But, for them to have the legal ability to fire him because he smoked at home, they must have in his contract, expressly stated that he should not smoke, at work or at home. Being aware of the obligation he had undertaken, I see no reason for them not to act against him.

Of course it's harsh, as it was done in private, but he knew he could be fired if he was found out, and he knew he had agreed to be bound by those terms when he took the job.