<p>Oh sooooo not true, zm.</p>
<p>Sometimes I agree with you. I have mixed feelings about this issue. It is not a black and white issue.</p>
<p>Smokers have higher rates of disability, which does affect other workers. Are you supposing neither smoker nor his family have employer provided medical insurance? Having a smoker in the household is a huge health issue for asthmatics. It can also be a problem for sensitive coworkers, even when smoking is done off premises.</p>
<p>Romani, you just have a soft spot for fellow dog lovers.</p>
<p>Tating, I am the size of your average fifth grader, I have always been teased about my size and still am to this day. I am very, very sensitive about my size. If I worked in a larger company where everyone didnt know the intimate details of everyone else’s life I might feel differently. My husband is obese and his HR department is in another borough, so it wouldn’t phase him in the least.</p>
<p>"How does my coworker’s nicotine habit have anything to do with the rest of us if he doesn’t use the employee benefits? "</p>
<p>Well, in reality it probably cost society less because smokers on average dont linger around for years with diseases. </p>
<p>Its these half-marathoners who are compulsively getting screenings that will linger into their late 90’s and break the bank. There really ought to be a surcharge on people trying to live into their 90’s.</p>
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<p>Have you ever been at the entrance of a workplace where there were a bunch of people smoking in 20-degree weather? Why do you think people disable smoke detectors on airplanes or in bathrooms to sneak a smoke? It’s an addiction.</p>
<p>HImom, excellent point about the smell of smoking on sensitive coworkers. I hadn’t thought of that and I cede the point.</p>
<p>zoosermom, thank you for bringing such civility to this thread and for being willing to look at different points of view. I too can be a bundle of contradictions, but I try to stay openminded. And I am also a dog lover. :)</p>
<p>Argbargy, you smoke?</p>
<p>Thank you, Sally, I have to ask you a very important question. What are your thoughts on beagles? You love them, right? Romani is a Pitt bull girl, but she humors me on the beagle issue.</p>
<p>Bceagle, I work in one of those manhattan office buildings with a pack of smokers outside. They hang out at the world’s ugliest water feature which was designed by one of the members of the murdering psycho real estate family. They all dump their butts into the water feature and I find that somehow fitting.</p>
<p>Smoking increases risk of a myriad of conditions including all cancers, diseases of heart, lungs, kidney, diabetes, etc. these conditions can appear long after the smoker quits and cost society, medical insurer and disability insurer LOTS in medical costs including repeated prolonged hospitalizations.</p>
<p>I’m one of those asthmatics highly allergic to smoke. Lucky for me, I work in a place where you are required by law not to smoke within 100 some feet of the building. It’s strictly enforced. At other places I’ve worked, the smoke on people’s clothes has triggered my asthma. Not a full blown attack but mighty uncomfortable.</p>
<p>Beagles are cute. Bout as small as I will personally go. I foresee a boxer in my future. </p>
<p>People with pets live longer, healthier lives on average.</p>
<p>You really do make an excellent point and I should have thought of it. I am currently witnessing the most extreme case of workplace bullying I have ever seen and it involves a woman who is a severe asthmatic and abuse by scented products, so I should have been more aware of how problematic smells can be.</p>
<p>zoosermom, my first dog ever (who I got only about 10 years ago) was said to be a beagle/lab mix but by the time he was done growing we were thinking Rottweiler/coonhound. As a puppy he looked like a beagle, so I have always had a soft spot for them. I loved him so much. But I love pit bulls and pit mixes too.</p>
<p>Right now I am typing with my rescued Chihuahua on my lap while my Great Pyr/Akita/St. Bernard mix lies outside in the snow. Life is good with dogs.</p>
<p>Wow, zm. How can people be so cruel? Ugh</p>
<p>I would love to have a personable dog. Mine is vicious, unfortunately, but he is still my old man.</p>
<p>Speaking of wellness, my daughter’s college had a pre-midterms stress busting program that involved a play date with service puppies. I would give my employer my bank balance if they provided that wellness benefit. Don’t you think that would be great for blood pressure?</p>
<p>I too have someone in my office with SEVERE scent allergies that lead to asthma. It’s hard to remember not to use even scented lotion on weekdays. The company puts up signs and sends out reminder emails but people forget. </p>
<p>We also have a lot of smokers, and I can always tell who they are when they walk by (plus I see them taking breaks out by the dumpsters). The smell offends me, but I don’t have a medical reaction. I almost wish I did so I could say something–it’s nasty.</p>
<p>I still don’t get it. Unless you work exclusively from home and never see your boss, the company knows whether or not a person is obese.</p>
<p>YES. And some companies allow people to bring dogs to work. I wish mine did.</p>
<p>“Wow, zm. How can people be so cruel? Ugh”</p>
<p>I have been employed for thirty years and I have never seen anything like this. When I stumbled on incontrovertible proof, I was so upset that I had a full blown panic attack. And it wasn’t even directed at me.</p>