Whirlpool has suspended 39 workers for smoking after they said they were non-smokers on their health insurance forms, thus avoiding having to pay US$500 more in annual premiums.
The production workers were seen smoking or using chewing tobacco on company property. They could lose their jobs for lying.
Employees at the Evansville, Ind. plant who use tobacco products have had to pay higher health insurance premiums since 1996.
According to Mercer’s 2007 National Survey of Employer- Sponsored Health Plans, 16% of large U.S. companies give non-smokers a discount on premiums while just 5% of small and mid-size firms offer a discount.
For more about the benefits of providing support for smoking cessation in the workplace, click here for a special supplement, Butting Out to Raise the Bottom Line.
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