Job hunting tips from the gainfully employed (Page 2)

I tend to agree with you about the frequency of smoke breaks.  But lunch is lunch.  You know your employees best, but hopefully they don't feel like they have to conform to what everyone else is doing.

Me personally, I like to get out of the office for lunch, walk a bit, recharge and then I work better in the afternoon.  If that means getting to work a little earlier so I can get everything done, that's ok with me.

I think the healthcare issue is really a very slippery slope. Yes, statistically smokers have more healthcare problems. So do overweight people, and their weight is obvious walking in the door. But I myself am carrying a few more pounds than I should, yet remain very active, with no significant health issues; I never take time off for health issues (except for my kids surgeries when they needed them, and last year for my mother's surgery); but I have only taken off one day for medical problems in the last decade at least, when I had pneumonia - unrelated to any sort of lifestyle issues.

One of the young guys I work with, who appears very healthy and fit, has familial hypertension. So, in his 20's, he has more health risks than I do, at nearly double his age. If a company starts to exclude smokers due to the health care concerns, then they would soon start to exclude the obese, then the overweight, then the older workers (increasing risks of age related issues like hypertension and high cholesterol, increased rates of stroke and heart disease, etc; not to mention the need to take time off for normal age related screenings like colonoscopies and mammograms); then workers with genetic/familial hypertension and high cholesterol, then people with families (who might themselves become sick or need time from workers). At some point, you only would hire orphaned single workers who are uberhealthy but not engaged in athletics (sports related injuries take away from working and cost more for healthcare).

I'll adjust my search accordingly.  Appreciate the help!    (J/K)

Well, it's a good point. You draw the line at smoking, but why not any of the others listed? 

It's (healthcare costs) a secondary concern.  More accurately it's not really a concern at all, for all the reason he stated.  You can't really draw the line anywhere other than about where he did.  I was just joking with my comment to gearboy.