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Originally Posted by Serren  I can say that this is a slippery slope without taking a side. Should this employer be allowed to ban his employees from mountain biking, bungie jumping, snow sking, parachuting, or any other recreational sports/hobbies that are dangerous to ones health?
There are many dangerous things people expose themselves to for fun. Some professional athletes are forbidden to ride motorcylces! Of course they sign contracts in advance. Could/would a normal business ask their employees to do the same? I dont think so. Not without massiviely infringing on the rights of their workers. "Employees, you are now forbidden to hike or rock climb ever again. It can be dangerous to you, and we don't want our rates increased." |
I thought of something to note on this as well. I don't think that the company is catering to an unhealthy lifestyle if the employee is spending his/her spare time hiking or rock climbing. I think that the biggest benefit this company is getting is the fact that they no longer have to cater to employees by dealing with smoke breaks, disgruntled employees because they "need a cigarette", etc. I could be wrong, but that's how I see it (I know there are insurance benefits as well, but I doubt they are that significant). As for things like rock climbing and hiking, these are fitness related hobbies. There may be a danger associated with them, but there's a danger associated with driving too... where do you stop?
I used to spar MMA style once a week on friday mornings, and my bosses had no problem letting me leave for a couple hours to go do it. It could have been considered a dangerous excersize, but in reality, I have never been fitter and in better shape than I was back then. That led to greater productivity in the workplace, etc. I think that productivity and health tend to go hand in hand in a lot of scenarios.
I also think that maybe now I'm just rambling.
