Whirlpool Can 39 Workers for Lying About Smoking

[RedGlitter]

Are they going too far?





Whirlpool Factory Suspends 39 Workers, Saying They Lied About Tobacco Use

Wednesday, April 23, 2008





INDIANAPOLIS —

Smoking can be hazardous to your health, and it's turning into a bad career move, too. A Whirlpool Corp. factory in Evansville, Ind., 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 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, Mich., 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.

[gmc]

rjwould;844848 wrote: Not surprising they would lie. Every time I had purchased life insurance, I was advised by my agent (who supposedly was a "friend") to say I didn't smoke when I did smoke at the time in order to save on premiums. Little did I know until I learned about insurance that the first request is to check for evidence of smoking after one passes away, and then of course the insurance company has an excuse to deny the claim to those left behind. Insurance companies quietly encouraged their agents to encourage clients to lie about smoking on applications.

So now its health care and the insurance companies unspoken policies don't serve them in this area and are now biting us in other ways...Now it costs you your job when you do what they encouraged all along.

We need national heath care.....period....


It's not an excuse it's a perfectly good reason. Obviously smoking increases the risk of dying or ill health. It's like telling the car insurance company you don't have any drink driving convictions- the insurance is invalid. It's not as if they would be denied cover they just pay for the extra risk.

quietly encouraged their agents to encourage clients to lie about smoking on applications.


Don't know about the US but here that would be serious and not worth the risk as it would be the insurance agent that carries the can if he did something like that and got caught. How could you face the family members if you did something like that?

[hoppy]

Yes. Smoking kills. Lets go after the smokers. Obesity kills. Lets go after the obese. Hard to lie out of that. Too much sun can cause skin cancer. Lets go after sun tanned people. Lets see, who else can we degrade, bully and hassel?

[gmc]

posted by rjwould

I agree, but then why have insurance agents encourages clients to lie about it so often?.Now before anyone asks for evidence that this goes on here, I probably can't supply any other than the word of people (such as myself) who have been through it and briefly sold insurance.


I don't disbelieve you. But if a salesman is asked to do something wrong by his boss it is still him that makes the decision to do it. I dare say it goes on here as well. then again if someone tells you to lie when filling in a form and you do it you can hardly complain if you get found out-except you're dead and couldn't complain anyway.

Happily I live in a country where medical bills are not a cause for worry even if you are a fat chain smoking asthmatic. which I'm not though ever since my wife saw austin powers she's taken to calling me fat bastard which isn't funny any more. I'm fed up with americans poking fun at scots people but I realise it's just their inferiority complex showing itself in surprising ways.

posted by red glitter

Are they going too far?


I would say not. On the other hand if they got sacked for smoking that would be.

[Bryn Mawr]

rjwould;845006 wrote: I agree, but then why have insurance agents encourages clients to lie about it so often?.Now before anyone asks for evidence that this goes on here, I probably can't supply any other than the word of people (such as myself) who have been through it and briefly sold insurance.

Companies make the profits off the sale and then don't have to pay the claims...Are you surprised by the idea companies would think like that?

Of course, when insurance companies get sued, the personal injury attorneys are the bad guys around here.




Over here it's called mis-selling and get the buyer compensation - no need to prove that you've lost out, just the fact that the companies agent mis-sold the product justifies the compensation payment. That tends to stop them in their tracks.

[sunny104]

gmc;845298 wrote: posted by rjwould



I don't disbelieve you. But if a salesman is asked to do something wrong by his boss it is still him that makes the decision to do it. I dare say it goes on here as well. then again if someone tells you to lie when filling in a form and you do it you can hardly complain if you get found out-except you're dead and couldn't complain anyway.

Happily I live in a country where medical bills are not a cause for worry even if you are a fat chain smoking asthmatic. which I'm not though ever since my wife saw austin powers she's taken to calling me fat bastard which isn't funny any more. I'm fed up with americans poking fun at scots people but I realise it's just their inferiority complex showing itself in surprising ways.

posted by red glitter



I would say not. On the other hand if they got sacked for smoking that would be.


:wah: and people say americans don't get irony! :wah:

too funny!

[Richard Bell]

ever since my wife saw austin powers she's taken to calling me fat bastard which isn't funny any more. I'm fed up with americans poking fun at scots people but I realise it's just their inferiority complex showing itself in surprising ways.


erm....Mike Meyers is from Toronto. His parents were from Scotland.

[gmc]

Richard Bell;846154 wrote: erm....Mike Meyers is from Toronto. His parents were from Scotland.


Actually I know that but for the purposes of the joke I thought it was funnier to overlook that. Besides most Americans think Canada is one of the US states anyway don't they? :sneaky:Just as I know scotty on star trek wasn't really sottish although the character supposedly came from linlithgow which makes him a black bitch which no doubt would get a an american audience thoroughly confused and frothing at tye mouth assuming that was an insult. But I digress.

posted by rjwould

Thats a great idea. An x friend of mine sold me a whole life policy (never buy whole life life insurance policies) many years ago while I was young and still smoked cigarettes. As he was filling out the paperwork for me he asked, "do you smoke?", him knowing very well that I did, as he asked the question shook his head "NO" to indicate what my answer should be as if I guess he was afraid I was recording the conversation or something. His office was in his home, so there was not anyone else there..I asked him why I should answer "NO" and he then explained the difference in premium payments to me.


Your ex friend stitched you up to get the commission and you knowingly committed fraud by lying when you signed the form as being accurate.