CVS to employees: Tell us your weight and quit smoking or you pay a penalty.

[enterthemadness]

Could any of the employees go to the ACLU to file a lawsuit?

I posted on CVS Facebook page about this and said I will no longer go to their store. There's a big backlash going on now.

lifeinc.today.com/_news/2013/03/20/...ch-you-weigh-or-itll-cost-you-600-a-year?lite

Smokers working for CVS are also warned: “You must either be tobacco-free by May 1, 2014, or participate in the WebMD tobacco cessation program.” Defiant smokers can avoid penalties if they are healthy enough in other categories specified by the company.

CVS Caremark has put its employees on notice that they need to reveal their weight or pay a monthly $50 penalty.


“Avoid the $600 annual surcharge,” CVS warns its employees who use the company’s health [COLOR=darkgreen ! important]insurance[/COLOR] plan. They’ve been told they are required by May 1 to show up to a doctor for an annual WebMD Wellness Review and submit to tests for blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass and body weight.


“Going forward, you'll be expected not just to know your numbers - but also to take action to manage them,” the CVS policy states.

 

[Warhammer]

See, this is the type of issue where it's a bit slippery. Alienation as well as forcing the employees to do all this sounds like it'd suck. However, you can also say that CVS is trying to look out for the longevity of the company by promoting their employees to be healthy. You want to use the health plan? Become and remain healthy. You got a problem? Start looking for a new job at Walgreens.

 

[mikey1974]

the smoking thing is legal. my workplace has a policy where non-smokers pay a lower insurance premium than those who do,and openly talk about only hiring/keeping employees who don't smoke at some point in the future. and my wife just started working for Geisinger Health Group back in December,and they have a strict policy of only hiring non-smokers.

the weight thing? we've heard rumblings at my place of this happening,or I should say the rumors of paying higher insurance premiums if you're overweight. but most seem to believe this will be illegal.

 

[NickNitro]

Eh smoking is a terrible habit anyway. As a former smoker I say they'll thank CVS in the long run.

I see the moral grey area of the situation, but I stand by what I said

 

[Wolfwood]

Hey, come on, CVS just cares about your well-being.

You Fatty McFatterson.

 

[GRangerPrimeNYC]

Hm, sounds reasonable.

 

[NickNitro]

Hey, come on, CVS just cares about your well-being.

You Fatty McFatterson.

Its Fatty McSmokerson

 

[Wolfwood]

Damn, that is better. Now I'm gonna kick myself.

 

[terry78]

I don't smoke, but I get how smokers view non-smokers as kind of preachy and probably roll their eyes at our very existence. My mom used to so I dealt with it for a while.

 

[Mace Dolex]

Smoking leads to cancer, cancer leads to suffering and suffering leads to having a hole in your throat.

 

[Trainwreck2100]

Good for CVS now if only they worried about trivial things like "breaks given to their employees that they have to by law". Worked for them for six years and maybe got like 20 15 minute breaks, no joke.

 

[Figs]

Until smoking cigs becomes illegal, this is discrimination. The companies can choose not to hire smokers...and the employees can rightfully sue them in return.

I can understand the health insurance factor, if the health insurance companies won't fully cover you since you are doing something unhealthy to yourself, but getting fired for smoking isn't right.

Personally, I think it's bad that some jobs drug test for Marijuana. I can understand jobs that have you working with machinery, but something like an office job is just ridiculous.

 

[Trainwreck2100]

they won't be fired for smoking they'll have to pay a higher premium

 

[Optimus_Prime_]

The smoking thing is legal. The weight thing, I'm not so sure that'll fly.

 

[enterthemadness]

The thing is, this can lead to further use later in the future. First it's the smoking...then it's the caffeine usage. Then I'm sure it be going after people don't do extreme things like sky diving or riding a motorcycle.


I now see why America is ranked 7th in the world in Human Freedom.

I wonder how this will affect e-cigs?

Oh and if Smoking became illegal. Regular people will turn it into the new weed. Prohibtion does not work. Regular peolpe became 'bad guys' with moonshine back in the day.

 

[Trainwreck2100]

It's not a "you're fat so we'll charge you more" charge. It's a "you're fat so go to the doctor and he'll tell you how fat you are, but we promise we won't peek at your weight" or we'll charge you more charge

 

[Marvolo]

Just lie. They can't follow you around 24/7 to make sure you don't smoke.

 

[enterthemadness]

Just lie. They can't follow you around 24/7 to make sure you don't smoke.

We agree on something.


Smoke at home or in a place where your boss won't see you. Take a shower before going to work...put in two or three air fresheners in your ride. And if asked, say you like having a car that smells like a pine forest.

 

[NickNitro]

as a former smoker, I know that nothing shields people from the smoke smell. I dont care how many showers/air fresheners you have. lol

 

[Evelisse]

They chose the negative incentive right out the gate, probably would go better had they offered money as a bonus for living healthy, I'm sure this is all about how much CVS cares for their employees and not only just saving a buck...

 

[enterthemadness]

as a former smoker, I know that nothing shields people from the smoke smell. I dont care how many showers/air fresheners you have. lol

I smoked at Walmart for months before parents found out....I worked outside though. Dat WIND.

 

[Tanin]

My former employer Wegmans does this as well.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Considering half of Americans are overweight, shouldn't they sort of recalibrate the whole "wellness" thing?

After all, we don't base intelligence on ideal intelligence. If we did, half the population would be reclassified as mildly mentally ******ed.

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

This sounds like something that will be blamed on Obama and Obamacare.

 

[Tanin]

This sounds like something that will be blamed on Obama and Obamacare.

I don't see why. Places have been doing this for a long time.