Should You Lose Your Job For Lighting Up?

I didn't see the whole segment. My television was on mute. The discussion was "Should you lose your job for lighting up?" Yeah, lighting up a cigarette. From the body language of the guests, it was one of those serious discussions about what a business wants and what the individual wants. The institution is never for the freedom of the individual and never will be. Our institutions do not the individual that is why it has all sorts of rules and policies. Religions, schools, governments, medical, and military does the trust the individual. So the issue is not about a cigarette or a job. It is about trust and freedom.

So what does the business want? It wants the individual to change their behavior for the benefit of the organization. Businesses have created programs to get people to quit smoking and know the effects of smoking. But what is really going on? Businesses want their workers to be productive and so rather than support the individual in creating a vision of health from examining the reasons they smoke to what their goals are, they'd rather take the old problem-solution approach. Here is the problem, here is our solution. Lose the cig, or lose the gig!

Now the individual must remember that they work for an organization and that an organization has goals, and if those goals are important to the worker, they must make choices that support the vision of the organization. Its that simple. BUT-if smoking and freedom is more important then quit and create a job that allows for you to express your individuality. Why change? People want to change only if it brings them results that they want based on their vision.

Okay, what if they say Maurice, "I want to smoke and keep my job, I don't see why not? I am not hurting anyone!" This is where adults engage in court battles, conflicts, and all sorts of disputes. This is where it sticky, icky, gooey, ooey.
Smoking is a personal choice. Working for someone else is not simply a part time choosing activity. You work for an organization and so in a sense you must make choices that supports their values and aspirations. And smoking is not one of them even if it is your personal choice. So come on people, play the friggin game!