Although the company is striving to keep its employees healthy which is a good thing it is unethical when it forces them to quit their unhealthy behaviors such as smoking. Companies are expected to act ethically by asking their employees to willingly quit their unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and unhealthy eating (Valleau, 457). Forcing employees to quit smoking and as well forcing them to reduce body weight or else they get fired supposed they fail to do so, infringe their individual rights. This is discrimination and it is illegal to discriminate against smokers since workers’ rights imply that employers do not have jurisdiction over whatever actions or activities an employee gets involved in after working hours. Unless an employee smokes within the working hours within the company, then the company has jurisdiction have that employee and is eligible to take action against that employee (Berman, 429).
Even though smokers cost the company a lot in terms of health insurance, they are entitled to that health insurance as it is part of their worker’s rights. Moreover, the company does not have jurisdiction to control an employee morally. However, when it comes to the employee hiring process, it is unethical for the employer to deny jobs to job applicants on the basis that they are overweight or smokers (Berman, 431). Denying job applicants who are smokers’ jobs is unjustifiable since smokers and overweight people including the disadvantaged people are protected by the law (Valleau, 457).
According to the employers’ covenants, the employer is expected to grant a job position to applicants fairly and without any kind of discrimination. In essence, the employee cannot even fire the employee because he or she is a smoker because tobacco is a legal drug unless the employee smokes drugs classified to be illegal by law then it will be ethical for the employee to fire the employee. Alternatively, the company should provide therapy and counselling sessions for the smokers. This strategy is ethical and very effective in helping employees to quit smoking willingly.