It's not the worker's fault. She has to follow the rules or be fired. sm

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If they don't and ask them to pay back the no smoking benefit $$ I wonder how far they can go back?

Sara

39 Whirlpool workers suspended over smoking lies

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (AP) -- Smoking can be hazardous to your health, and it's turning into a bad career move, too.
A Whirlpool Corp. factory in Evansville, Indiana, has suspended 39 workers who signed insurance paperwork claiming they don't use tobacco and then were seen smoking or chewing tobacco on company property. Now, some could be fired for lying, company spokeswoman Debby Castrale said.
As annual health care premiums rise more than 10 percent a year, many companies are trying to rein in costs by encouraging healthy living.
"I can't think of a client of ours who has not shifted their focus to controlling the cost of their health care plan," said Indianapolis, Indiana, benefits lawyer Mike Paton.
Some employers have developed wellness programs to motivate employees, while others ask employees to state on benefits forms whether they use tobacco.
Whirlpool, based in Benton Harbor, Michigan, uses financial incentives to encourage U.S. workers and their dependents to abstain from tobacco use, spokeswoman Jill Saletta said. The specifics vary according to location.
In Evansville, the 1,500-employee factory charges tobacco users an extra $500 in annual health insurance premiums. The refrigerator factory has levied the extra premium since 1996, and it depends on employees to honestly fill out forms. It doesn't mandate blood tests to detect nicotine or trail employees outside work, Castrale said.
Management suspended the 39 employees Friday after they were spotted using either chewing tobacco on company property or taking a drag in one of the factory's dozen shelters for outdoor smoking, Castrale said.
"It's definitely not something we wanted to do," she said. "It's unpleasant."
The employees were suspended without pay, and they'll present their case at "fact-finding" meetings before management determines their fate. Whirlpool had to recall some laid-off workers to keep production running due to the suspensions.
A 2007 national survey showed that 16 percent of all large employers -- those with 20,000 or more employees -- adjust health care premium contributions according to the worker's smoking status, according to the human resources consulting firm Mercer.
The federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act limits the changes an employer can make to a health premium because of a worker's unhealthy habits. But it doesn't set parameters on punishment if an employee lies about his or her habit, Paton said.
Lewis Maltby, president of the National Workrights Institute, which advocates for employee privacy, sees no problem with employers trying to curb smoking. But he worries that the trend of cracking down on employees' unhealthy behavior is extending beyond tobacco use.
"We shouldn't have to give employers complete control over our private life so they can save a few dollars on medical care," he said.

the last week in November. She had called in sick 2 days before, and the assistant manager who fired her said they knew she had called, but they were firing her for a "no call, no show." The truth is my daughter worked in lay-away, which has been discontinued at Walmart, and they had no place for her in another department.

She had loved working there and was totally crushed when they fired her. A month before Christmas . . . what a nice surprise!

The OP was complaining of just barking. I was complaining about a lot more than just barking. My mother is 64 y/o, widowed, and suffers from MS. She has a right to be able to walk in her yard without worrying about the neighbor's dog knocking her over, barking at her, tearing out her trash, or getting under her feet and making her fall.

I understand that it isn't the dog's fault but no matter how many times you call the Sherriff or the humane society.....nothing is done. They still have the dogs and my mom still deals with it everyday. She has no rights whatsoever to keep her yard animal free and she has to live like this.

I personally feel that anyone should have a right to shoot any stray animal on their property. If pet owners aren't going to be responsible enough to keep their pets in their own yard, they have to live with the idea of someone shooting their pet. I don't like other dogs on my property. I don't allow my dog to go off of our property.

My dad is a teacher in California (I live in a different state) and has had 10 days per school year cut from his paycheck. The vacations are also longer during the school year as well. I don't understand the whole new office furniture purchase from your superintendent, but it sounds like your school system is just like everywhere else. Government-run systems/jobs have all had to make cuts, and schools seem to be the first that get screwed. All of the changes he has made probably stem from mandatory cuts he has to make to save money. Each school is going to be different how they implement them.

My husband's parents work for a government college and they are having the same problem with money. The college laid off so many people to save money. It is sad, but nothing can be done when it comes to mandatory cut backs. Hopefully things will change in the future, but it sounds like they are floundering to find ways to save money anyway the can.

....moving the bird feeders to in front of my office window! I just love watching them all and seeing what else comes out of the woods for some seed and suet. Lots of red squirrels and chippy's, the occasional cute grey mouse, and I guess even deer, but I never see THEM, just the tracks and the "raisinettes" around the feeder. Our neighbor gets tons of wild turkeys at her place, as well as racoons, flying squirrels, and skunks! She goes through about 50 pounds of black oil sunflower seeds as well as 25 pounds of dog chow (for the skunks, racoons, and larger critters) a week! Can you imagine?!

My other neighbor has a wild Merlin falcon (a girl named Helln Fury), who he caught and trained himself. Very cool bird. Can't say I've ever seen one 'round here but I guess they do exist, you just have to know what you're lookin' at when they are up in the air.

Thought the topic to interesting so wanted to reply. I chose my hours 6 p.m. to 2 p.m because my husband works steady 11 p to 7 a. He sleeps in the evening so thought it woud be a good time for me to work. Then when winter started, which is only noticeable by the light) I started 5 p to 1 a. Works out good for me and like it because I always have some work under my belt for the next day. Also, we get to have our days off together on Wed. and Thur. Working well so far. In summer will probably go back to 6 to 2 so I can swim.

You need either the converter box or a new TV that by law has to have digital in it. I have a new TV and I scan the digital part of my TV. I get maybe one station every few days, so obviously I have the capability otherwise I would not get any digital TV. It is the reception as I live in a rural area. I do have to get a roof top antenna. I was wondering what type of worker does that? When I look in the yellow pages, all it has is satellite and cable, nothing about antenna installers. I was wondering can just a handy man that I would hire install one or do I have to get an electric contractor to do it.

I posted the other day about where I had seen that social worker before, and couldn't find her on the cast list - wouldn't have helped if I had. I was watching Sally Field on the Boniva commercial and it popped into my head. Social worker was on that Boniva commercial where those 4 women were supposed to be being quiet in a museum. Isn't it funny how the brain works? - haha - especially mine.

No one has come by yet, but it's only Monday, but I did get the house cleaned with the help of my son, his girlfriend, and two of his friends. I took the advice below about shuffling all my ex-husband's junk to the garage. He has a fixer upper car in the garage anyway, so I just piled stuff around it, on top of it, and in it. The garage is a complete mess, but we don't live in there, so whatever. My son and his buddies cleaned up outside the house too. We had about 10 bags of trash for the trash truck this morning, but they took every one of them. Thank goodness!!

I'm way more calmer now than I was on Friday when all this crap broke loose. Thanks to everyone for calming me down. I'm ready now for when the social worker stops by. I saw another officer over the weekend at the gas station and he asked me about my situation, asked me if my ex was ever served and then told me that he was proud of me for finally getting rid of him and that he would talk to his boss about this whole "social services thing." He said his boss (who was the officer at my house on Friday) doesn't really know the ins and outs of the community like the officers do and he'd make sure he let him know that my ex is the one causing all the trouble.

So that made me feel better too. I just can't believe how ugly this is getting. I guess I'd better prepare myself because it will probably get worse before it gets better. The divorce is just beginning.