Legal View: Workplace No-Smoking Policies

March 11, 2020
U-Haul won't hire nicotine users in 21 states moving forward, in a move that has caught the attention of some that work within automotive repair facilities. 

March 11, 2020—According to a recent Associated Press report, U-Haul won't hire nicotine users in 21 states moving forward. 

And, that decision has opened eyes throughout the business world.

U-Haul applicants will reportedly be asked if they use nicotine products, and those hired in 21 particular states will need to agree to be screened for nicotine use in the future. The 21 states where it is legal to make such a workplace ruling include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. 

NOLN's colleagues over at FenderBender magazine reached out to labor lawyers in the states impacted by U-Haul's new policy, which will go into effect on Feb. 1, to gauge any potential for legal ramifications.

"From the employer's perspective, enacting this policy is a manageable risk," wrote Joshua Robbins and Darshana Indira, lawyers with the Maura Greene Law Group in Boston. "U-Haul is a large company and likely its attorneys feel confident implementing this policy in Massachusetts, given the state's current laws. 

"It has been and will likely continue to be an uphill battle for employees who use nicotine products, until there is specific state legislation protecting them. In Massachusetts, that's not the case," the lawyers added in their email to the magazine. 

U-Haul's no-smoking policy won't apply to employees hired before Feb. 1. The Phoenix-based company, which says it implemented the new ruling to encourage employees' health, has more than 30,000 workers. Such no-smoking policies aren't entirely new, either; Alaska Airlines has had such a policy since 1985 to address health care costs, the AP noted.