Ottawa has had a policy preventing smoking in the workplace for years. One local company has taken that a step further. Ottawa-based Momentous Corporation says it will only hire people who don't smoke.
It's a growing trend with companies in the United States. It's starting to take catch on here. The company says it save them money and saves workers' health.
Alex Hosselet is marketing manager with Momentous Corporation. He's also an ex-smoker. He took the job with the company knowing he could never smoke again.
Alex hosselet/momentous marketing manager says "We all make an agreement we won’t do that, along with everything else we adhere to so you'd have to make a bad decision to give up your job for it,” says Alex Hosselet, Momentous Marketing Manager. He adds, “We're a team here, we work well together, we don't have people who leave spontaneously in middle of a meeting for a smoke break. We take care of our health and work well together.”
Rob Hall runs the company. He says the hiring practice has slashed employee health benefits dramatically and increased productivity.
“It's people's choice to smoke,” says Rob Hall, Momentous President. “And with choice comes repercussions and one of them is hey you can't work here. I'm not saying they don't have a choice to smoke, I’m just saying they don't have choice to work at Momentous if you do smoke.”
A growing number of Canadian companies are saying smokers need not apply. It's a move supported by TV health guru Dr. Oz.
"We have to make it uncool to smoke, says Dr. Memet Oz, “and it is a huge economic drain and a quality drain on the workforce as well.”
But some Ottawa resident we talked to wonder where companies will draw the line.
"I think it's discrimination, no matter what you call it, it's discrimination,” says Sue Barton.
Greg Snyder adds, "In this day and age it's very weird to be honest.”
Tamara Ramadan says "You should be hired on other skills you have. It shouldn't matter if you smoke or not.”
A non-smokers rights group actually agrees and says a hiring ban isn't going to help smokers beat their addiction.
Melodie Tilson is the Director of Policy at the Non Smokers' Rights Association, "Somewhere between two thirds and three quarters of smokers, at any given time, want to quit smoking and they need help, they don't need to be penalized.
Employees who work at momentous feel differently. Christina Beavis, the Vice President of Momentous says the non-smoking policy was one of the reasons she applied.
"I’m really proud to work for a company that's proud to stand up in such a conservative town and stand for something.”
