This is something that - if it isn't illegal already - damn well ought to be.
Alabama is becoming the first state in the U.S. to place a surcharge on state employees who are deemed "overweight." The state will soon begin charging workers an extra $25 a month if their weight isn't within what the state considers an acceptable standard.
Charging workers now? Back in my day, people used to get paid to work instead of having to pay.
It's bad enough when big corporations try keeping their employees in suspended animation, but for a state to do it is just as ridiculous. Indeed, it's outright discrimination.
And what does "overweight" mean? Under new official guidelines promulgated by the federal government the late '90s, I'm "overweight." I fucking sure wouldn't appreciate being charged $25 a month over it.
I firmly believe one of the main reasons for the new guidelines was so more people could be classed as "overweight" or "obese", just so there'd be an excuse to micromanage their lives or shake them down for a few dollars like what Alabama is doing to its state workers (and what Big Business has tried to do).
(Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=619057)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Alabama penalizes workers because of weight
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You forgot to mention it's for health insurance, which is otherwise 100% paid by taxpayers. Curiously, you also didn't mention workers are given an entire year to show they are trying to lose weight. According to the article you cite, they don't even have to slim down to a healthy weight in a year, just show they are trying. Alabama does the same for smoking and it's justified. Medical research has clearly shown fat people and smokers tend to have more health problems than those who don't smoke and aren't fat.
ReplyDeleteThen how about if we penalize them if they vote Republican? That's as bad for their health as anything.
ReplyDeleteScrew the extra year...why is discriminating against someone because of their weight allowed at all? The state does not own workers, so it is none of the state's FUCKING business if people do not lose weight!!!
I doubt you can produce medical evidence that voting for one party or another is a health risk.
ReplyDeleteIt is the state's business when someone being fat costs the taxpayers money. Fat workers are free to do nothing about their obesity, as long as they pick up the extra cost. Freedom comes with responsibility, is that a foreign concept to you?
Scheffbd is at least partially right on this one. I am torn because this is a complicated issue.
ReplyDeletePeople should be responsible for their health when it impacts the community or society but do they have the time, money or resources? I would also add that corporations that intentionally sell unhealthy products to society are just as guilty, if not more. The clean-up to this problem should begin with the employer and not just the employee. Otherwise it would be like asking children to act mature even when their parents are being completely irresponsible.
Are employers going to cut into their profits by allowing people the necessary time and breaks that are needed to get healthy? I think not. They may provide us with an appearance but not the truth.
In the end, people should have freedom to live the way they wish, even if it is destructive to themselves. Our society is filled with overworked people who don't have enough time to catch their breath, who eat unhealthy foods and are prone to a sedintary lifestyle. Our technology and lack of understanding is killing us as we wait to see who the bachelorette is going to choose or who will look like an idiot on American Idol.
If you are going to penalize someone, start with corporations that overwork their employees and reality TV. They are really profitting from the demise of the healthy American without regard for the average taxpayer and society.
sports are dangerous, should all professional athletes play safer or be penalized? Actually auto accidents probably cause quite a bit of hospital bills but I don't see any employers saying, "it's okay if you are a half hour late to work as long as you get here safe". They don't care about anything but profit, and that is "Greed", one of the seven deadly sins, to all you so-called conservative christians out there. I don't see the christian coalition going after corporate greed which should be considered a sin, but then again they are probably receiving a kickback. Again, another alterior motive used by the rich and power-hungry to get us to argue moot points thinking we know the truth about what is really going on.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
Er, Scheff??
ReplyDeleteIt is the state's business when someone voting Republican costs the taxpayers money. Republicans are free to do nothing about their Republican-ness, as long as they pick up the extra cost. Freedom comes with responsibility, is that a foreign concept to you?
Also, a lot of overweight-ness is caused by a genetic predisposition..not personal behavior..