A German boss is being taken to a tribunal for firing non-smokers and replacing them with smokers who "fitted in better".
Thomas Jensen, head of a telesales company in Buesum in northern Germany, has laid off three non-smokers at his company and said he will not be hiring any more.
He said: "Smokers have always been our best employees. Non-smokers interfere with corporate peace.
"Our non-smoking employees were actually convinced that they had the right to smoke-free zones. They just complained all the time about smoking, and I don't like grumblers.
"It was also very disappointing that the non-smokers would distance themselves from the smokers at social events - it didn't build any team spirit. From now on, I'm only employing smokers."
The three sacked workers are now suing him for unfair dismissal.
Ok, ok, I've always said I don't support firing smokers for smoking on their own time. No one should be fired for being a smoker. I DO support this,not because I support treating non-smokers any differently,I don't, but because maybe this is what's needed to reverse doing this to smokers. I think it's wrong to fire someone for their off hour behavior. When the company pays you 24/7, then they can run your life. Until that day happens though, there's company time and private time and the twain shouldn't meet. I think this should make blatant the hypocrisy in firing smokers for smoking off company time. Unfortunately you must break a few eggs when making an omelet and I'm sorry that 3 people will have to suffer while we repair the damage the anti-smoking agenda caused. However, there have been more that have suffered from the discrimination for being smokers and well, something has to fix it. So please, file your lawsuits. I hope you lose, because smokers haven't won yet. However, I DO hope it succeeds in making it clear that company policies targeting your off hour activities (or in this case, lack there of) are unacceptable. I also hope that maybe being on the receiving end of this type of behavior will also shed some light on how it feels to be treated badly for something that you CHOSE to do.And please, if you are a business owner who supports the choice to smoke, why don't you take a leaf from the same page and fire your non-smoking employees. Let's shove this type of hypocrisy to the front pages!
Posts
1 comments:
I'm surprised no one has commented on this in all the months since you posted it. Anyway I must say, as amusing as I find this story, I disagree with the business owners position. Beleive me I'm no anti-smoker and I agree with you when it comes to them but I don't think its fair to fire someone because they don't want to be around smoke. On the other hand I have to admit it nice to see them get a taste of they're own medicine for once. I'm surprised its coming from Germany and not Italy or France but it seems there is alot of resistance to the anti smoking agenda in Germany and I'm glad to see it. Its time those of us who smoke and those of who just beleive in free choice, band together and fight back. I'm not asking to be able to smoke every where, I'm just asking not to be treated like a criminal.
Post a Comment