State of the Market

[eek]

Maarning all,

Interesting one in my inbox this morning - c# asp.net programmer, Havant £200 pd, non-smokers only.

Are they allowed to do that? Sounds discriminatory to me.

I don't think it's a criteria in the equal opportunities act you would be using to justify your claim. In fact you could probably argue the opposite in a tribunal - we don't want smokers as it impacts others with allergies and breathing issues.

[Old Greg]

I don't think it's a criteria in the equal opportunities act you would be using to justify your claim. In fact you could probably argue the opposite in a tribunal - we don't want smokers as it impacts others with allergies and breathing issues.

I doubt the Equality Act could be used. Unless there's a very tenuous argument to be made that it' indirect discrimination against people with smoking related illnesses. Good luck with that one.

[eek]

I doubt the Equality Act could be used. Unless there's a very tenuous argument to be made that it' indirect discrimination against people with smoking related illnesses. Good luck with that one.

That was my point - Smoking is probably a perfectly valid criteria for ruling someone out of a job...

Now you probably could have had a case in the 1940s when Capstan Full Strength was often recommended for people with lung diseases but once smoking was discovered to kill you it probably hasn't worked since.

[Amanensia]

Tough to afford cigarettes on that rate.

[Old Greg]

That was my point - I believe it's a perfectly valid criteria for ruling someone out of the job...

I'm not sure I agree, but I expect it's perfectly legal.

If it's OK as a selection criterion, is it OK as a condition of continuing employment?

[The Bona Fide]

Tough to afford cigarettes on that rate.

I dread to think of the cost of 20 Marlboro Lights these days. Pushing a tenner, no doubt.

[PCTNN]

I still don’t understand how people put up with it. A lot of them struggle with anxiety and mental health issue while working a job that doesn’t bring them any satisfaction, they barely afford the rent in a dump humid place and their idea of good food is an overpriced meal at the local pub.
They’ll never afford to live where they work and they rack up debt every day to buy things they don’t need or go on holidays they barely enjoy.
Only to fill the gap in their soul that gives them the impression that their life is going somewhere.
A lot of them although highly educated on paper are functiong idiots.
If you work on 70k in central London, put 10h per day, be stressed out evey day and only manage to save 6k/year. Is it really worth it?

One of my best pals:

- has got a permie job that pays 90k basic with good benefits so not too bad at all
- his wife does not work
- they have a kid
- he complains about London cost of life every time we speak over the phone
- he just bought a 500k tiny wee house in the suburbs hours away from the City

and....drumrolll...

- his work is 100% remote and so it has been for the last 5 years

I'll never understand him but I think he makes all the money but doesn't run the show

[NowPermOutsideUK]

Whats your point PCTNN - That 90K in london is not much at all or something else?

Whats 90 after tax ? 5K ish?? Hardly much is it

Suppose mortgage and utils are 3K - What does that leave you

[ladymuck]

Maarning all,

Interesting one in my inbox this morning - c# asp.net programmer, Havant £200 pd, non-smokers only.

Are they allowed to do that? Sounds discriminatory to me.

Possibly an implication that smokers sneak off several times an hour and are less productive.

Reminds me of something I heard on the radio over the weekend. One chap was saying how there's a room in his house where he goes to smoke and sometimes he'll have a remote meeting while in there so he can have a ciggie at the same time. He was on a call with a few people from the council and the council leader had a smoke during the meeting. There was heaps of pious outrage over this and the council leader felt they had to apologise! For smoking in their own home. Absolutely nuts.

[The Bona Fide]

Possibly an implication that smokers sneak off several times an hour and are less productive.

Reminds me of something I heard on the radio over the weekend. One chap was saying how there's a room in his house where he goes to smoke and sometimes he'll have a remote meeting while in there so he can have a ciggie at the same time. He was on a call with a few people from the council and the council leader had a smoke during the meeting. There was heaps of pious outrage over this and the council leader felt they had to apologise! For smoking in their own home. Absolutely nuts.

One council (I think Hammersmith) has actually banned its WFH workers from smoking at home. How on earth they police this, I don't know. Anyhow, I read it in the Mail