Walmarts Healthcare and Hiring Policy

was reading an article where an employers point of view on healthcare costs and hiring policies was made the focus of discussion. As i read that, it became apparent that as much as the employers are trying to reduce the cost of healthcare, what they are doing ultimately helps the stockholders and could benefit the employees if loosed at more positively. Companies have an obligation to stickholders and stakeholders, right? So if they attempt to increase the bottom line by reducing costs such as that from healthcare (obesity for example costs U.S. companies approximately $13 billion per year according to the Washington D.C.-based National Business Group on Health) then why does it become a matter of such introspection? As a matter of fact, Walmart is not the only company doing so. Employers like Westgate are trying to push employees into healthy lifestyles, including reducing obesity even though it raises a host of legal, moral and practical questions.

In 2002, all Westgate employees were given one year to quit smoking completely or else face termination. The company offered smoking cessation classes, nicotine patches and other support. "If someone wants to smoke, that is their choice, but when their choices impact their employer and fellow employees, then, frankly, we're not going to take it," they said. Since the ban on smoking was finally enacted in September 2003, health premiums have increased at an average of five percent at Westgate, much lower than increases seen at other companies, according to a December 2007 article in the Orlando Sentinel. They found themselves in the center of controversy late last year they said that Westgate would take every legal step to insist on healthy employees. "If you are an alcoholic and we have the right to fire you, we will do so. And if you are obese and there is a way for us not to hire you or to fire you, we will do that, too," he said. Bloggers and online commenters attacked Siegel for discriminating unfairly against overweight people