You Smoke? No job for you in NZ.

Ian Simpson · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2003 9:44 pm Post subject: You Smoke? No job for you in NZ.

I see it's legal to not employ someone in NZ on the grounds that they smoke. To be honest, that suits me, but I'm sure some will be very unhappy.

Bosses can refuse to hire smokers without fear from New Zealand's stringent anti-discrimination laws.

The precedent has been set by a South Island health agency which refuses to include smokers in its 80-strong workforce - and it has the approval of the Human Rights Commission.

The commission believes there is nothing to prevent employers stipulating "non smokers only" when recruiting staff because smoking is not a human right.

The revelation has alarmed civil libertarians who believe the ripple effect may mean other lifestyle choices - such as eating unhealthy foods - could be discriminated against.

The right to discriminate against smokers is confirmed in a contract, obtained by the Sunday Star-Times, between the Ministry of Health and a South Island health provider that insisted it hired only non-smokers...........................................................................

A survey released last month found non-smoking Kiwi workers were unhappy that their colleagues took smoking breaks, saying it decreased productivity.

The recruitment agency survey of 900 Kiwi workers found 12% took smoking breaks at work - of those, 85% took one to three smoking breaks a day.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2735793a10,00.html

gordster · I'll Hang Around A Little Joined: 23 Nov 2003 Posts: 15

Ian, I think you are being a little misleading about NZ and the attitude towards smoking. You have quoted from the Wilson and Horton Stuff website, which has a tendency to exagerate stories a lot.

the story was about a Maori Health Agency which didn't want to employ smokers. Why? Well because they were trying to help people give up smoking, and given that 50% of the Maori population smoke, it would be pretty poor role modelling for them to employ a smoker to tell people to give up smoking.

The govt in NZ has done well in the last 10 years to reduce the number of smokers in NZ, and hence the expediture on hosiptal treatment for smokers. NZ has higher rates of taxation on cigerettes than the UK, and point of sale, Cinema, sports sponsership, magizine, and billboard advertising of cigerettes have been banned in NZ. Smoking rates have progressively dropped over the years in NZ, but people in low decial groups (many Maori and Polynesians) still have high rates of smoking, hence the health agencies proactive stance towards smoking.

BTW, smoking is soon to be banned in pubs, cafes, and clubs too. Razz

Ian Simpson · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2003 5:31 am Post subject:

Erm, how am I being misleading?

gordster · I'll Hang Around A Little Joined: 23 Nov 2003 Posts: 15

posting a quote from a biased newpaper feature that likes to stir things.
Typical story with the media, read and dig a bit deeper and a different story emerges.

I didn't mean to imply you were being misleading, so don't take it personally

Ian Simpson · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2003 8:33 pm Post subject:

The Stuff Opinion Poll currently has 1693 votes; 58% in favour of employers having the right to refuse to hire smokers and 1212 against. The point of the story above is its broader implications for non-health workers. It is now possible for all employers to discriminate against smokers in their hiring practices. The Human Rights commission says so. That means discrimination will happen because, all other things being equal, employers know that smokers take more breaks and more sick days.