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Columbus Casino to Only Hire Non-Smokers

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Started 4 months ago by News
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News
Columbus Underground
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Only Non-Smokers Need Apply To West Side Casino
January 6, 2012
by Mandie Trimble
89.7 NPR News Reporter

The West Side casino that’s expected to bring a couple thousand jobs to Columbus has automatically narrowed its job applicant pool by about one-fifth. Each job opening at the West Side casino has a different skill set and qualification except for one criterion: applicants must be non-smokers.

Bob Tenenbaum speaks for Penn National Gaming which owns the casino as well as one in Toledo expected to open this year. Tenenbaum said the Ohio casinos will be smoke-free.

READ MORE: http://beta.wosu.org/news/2012/01/06/only-non-smokers-need-apply-to-west-side-casino/

Posted 4 months ago #
Coremodels
Really close to Explorer's Club.
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Cue the Dispatch sending smokers into apply then filing a discrimination suit.

Posted 4 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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I thought smoking habits was something that was allowed to be discriminated against by employers? I've heard of other places around the country with nonsmoking policies.

Posted 4 months ago #
Coremodels
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Walker said:
I thought smoking habits was something that was allowed to be discriminated against by employers? I've heard of other places around the country with nonsmoking policies.

Sure, but now you're using logic. Remember, we're talking about the company who chased away an Arena Casino because of their property interests there...so they bought property by the new location and filed suit there too.

Posted 4 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Coremodels said:
Sure, but now you're using logic. Remember, we're talking about the company who chased away an Arena Casino because of their property interests there...so they bought property by the new location and filed suit there too.

The Dispatch Group filed suit in an effort to get the West Side Casino annexed into Columbus. Which happened.

Now that it's under construction and on track for opening, what reason would they have in giving them issues with hiring employees? Not sure I'm following you...

Posted 4 months ago #
Coremodels
Really close to Explorer's Club.
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Walker said:
The Dispatch Group filed suit in an effort to get the West Side Casino annexed into Columbus. Which happened.

Now that it's under construction and on track for opening, what reason would they have in giving them issues with hiring employees? Not sure I'm following you...

The Dispatch Group has basically extorted whatever they want from Penn National from start to finish. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the next tool in the box they use to try to get something more.

Posted 4 months ago #
GCrites80s
5xNW
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This is so un-Vegas.

Posted 4 months ago #
cheap
Westgate
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i cant see all 4 casinos making money

i bet a couple will bite the dust

hopefully,the Columbus casino will be one of them

Posted 4 months ago #
NerosNeptune
Goodale Park
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GCrites80s said:
This is so un-Vegas.

agreed. casinos are about debauchery.

and, as i've similarly wondered when it comes to life insurance, how can they know you smoke? is it ok if you smoke every few months, or if you only smoke at home? if i am a smoker and want to apply for a job there, i just say i don't smoke.

i guess if nothing else this prevents anyone from taking a smoke break.

Posted 4 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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cheap said:
i cant see all 4 casinos making money

Plus, several others outside the state that are closer for some Ohio cities.

Plus slot machines coming to multiple race track locations.

There's going to be a pretty big saturation of legalized gambling in the next two years.

Posted 4 months ago #
GreatOutdoors
Short North
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NerosNeptune said:

... how can they know you smoke? is it ok if you smoke every few months, or if you only smoke at home? if i am a smoker and want to apply for a job there, i just say i don't smoke.

A saliva, blood, or urine test can detect nicotine -- there's some variability, but levels are fairly distinct between a daily tobacco user, someone who quit within a few weeks, and someone exposed to secondhand smoke. If this is for insurance purposes (reducing health care costs), I would assume they're mainly targeting daily users.

Posted 4 months ago #
GCrites80s
5xNW
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NerosNeptune said:
agreed. casinos are about debauchery.

and, as i've similarly wondered when it comes to life insurance, how can they know you smoke? is it ok if you smoke every few months, or if you only smoke at home? if i am a smoker and want to apply for a job there, i just say i don't smoke.

i guess if nothing else this prevents anyone from taking a smoke break.

Back when I was an investment adviser, we asked "Have you smoked a cigarette in the past year?" when doing their questionnaire. If they said yes, they were considered a smoker.

Posted 4 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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GreatOutdoors said:
A saliva, blood, or urine test can detect nicotine -- there's some variability, but levels are fairly distinct between a daily tobacco user, someone who quit within a few weeks, and someone exposed to secondhand smoke. If this is for insurance purposes (reducing health care costs), I would assume they're mainly targeting daily users.

Can that test tell the difference between smoking cigarettes and other forms of nicotine, such as chewing tobacco, or the use of the patch or nicotine gum to help wean people from smoking? Was a topic of conversation at dinner tonight... ;)

Posted 4 months ago #
cheap
Westgate
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this ban is the kind of bullshit you see employers get away with in states that have "at will" labor laws.

Posted 4 months ago #
GreatOutdoors
Short North
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Walker said:
Can that test tell the difference between smoking cigarettes and other forms of nicotine, such as chewing tobacco, or the use of the patch or nicotine gum to help wean people from smoking? Was a topic of conversation at dinner tonight... ;)

From what I understand, the test detects the metabolite of nicotine (cotinine), so any nicotine consumption, including chewing tobacco, patches, gum, etc, will result in a positive test. I don't know if patches, etc. result in a lower level -- but if it's meant to replace the amount you get in a cigarette, I would guess the test would make you look like a smoker.

Posted 4 months ago #
Corrin Radd

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I wonder if West siders would have been so enthusiastically courting the casino move if they'd known this. Where did I read that Columbus's West side has one of the highest per capita rates of smoking in the nation? So now nobody from the neighborhood is going to be able to work there.

Posted 4 months ago #
Twixlen
Westgate, Columbus
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Corrin Radd said:
I wonder if West siders would have been so enthusiastically courting the casino move if they'd known this. Where did I read that Columbus's West side has one of the highest per capita rates of smoking in the nation? So now nobody from the neighborhood is going to be able to work there.

I'd argue that there were an equal number of westsiders that *didn't* want the casino. And I'd argue that if you think the west side has a high percentage of smokers, that you haven't spent much time in the south. I live here, and don't find more folks smoking here than anywhere.

Posted 4 months ago #
JeepGirl

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Corrin Radd said:
So now nobody from the neighborhood is going to be able to work there.

Seems like the casino is putting the no-smokers word out early, so if a smoker is seriously interested in gaining a job there they can work on quitting.

Maybe it could lead to a double win for new employees, a job and reason to quit smoking.

Posted 4 months ago #
MoneyDragon
Columbus
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Good luck finding westsiders that don's smoke.

I like the idea of restricting the workforce to non-smokers, beside the obvious health insurance discounts you will get a more productive staff if they don't have to run outside every hour for a break.

Posted 4 months ago #
cheap
Westgate
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lmao

bunch of babies scared of a little smoke.

Posted 4 months ago #