Unhealthy Habits Could Hurt Your Pay Check

Employers are fining, firing based on lifestyle

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 26, 2007 3:10 PM CDT

(Newser) – Unhealthy living is getting more expensive, the Chicago Tribune reports, with employees facing fines or even firing for not satisfying company health requirements. Michigan's Weyco fines workers $50 per paycheck if they or their spouses smoke. Indianapolis' Clarian takes away $5 for each blood-pressure, body-mass, or other health-based benchmark you may fail.

"Employers are trying to thin out their health-care costs, by any means necessary," one workers' advocate says. "Employers started with smokers. Now they're moving on to the general population." Employers are combating those costs by recouping them through fines, implementing tiered insurance premiums depending on an employee's health, or simply not hiring candidates solely because they smoke or are obese.

(Index Stock)

Steve Martino smokes a Marlboro cigarette in Center City Philadelphia (AP Photo/George Widman) (Associated Press)

(Index Stock)

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Unhealthy Habits Could Hurt Your Pay Check

Employers are fining, firing based on lifestyle

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Low-Carb Diet Linked to Lower Blood Pressure

Both low-fat plan and Atkins-style regimen lead to weight loss

Common Virus Linked to Obesity

Fat cells exposed to virus grow in size and number

First Diet Drug in 13 Years? FDA to Start Review

Qnexa will be reviewed by the agency next week

Army Wants to Fight Obesity—With Fat Injections

New research award asks companies for a way to generate 'good' brown fat

US Obesity Rates Leveling Off

After 30 years on the rise, rates appear to be stabilizing

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Unhealthy Habits Could Hurt Your Pay Check

Employers are fining, firing based on lifestyle

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

obesity epidemic • blood pressure • health insurance premiums

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Low-Carb Diet Linked to Lower Blood Pressure

Both low-fat plan and Atkins-style regimen lead to weight loss

Common Virus Linked to Obesity

Fat cells exposed to virus grow in size and number

First Diet Drug in 13 Years? FDA to Start Review

Qnexa will be reviewed by the agency next week

Army Wants to Fight Obesity—With Fat Injections

New research award asks companies for a way to generate 'good' brown fat

US Obesity Rates Leveling Off

After 30 years on the rise, rates appear to be stabilizing

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

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More News

What is Newser?