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One company chief in Michigan ordered employees to quit smoking in 15 months or lose their jobs, according to a recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Such an edict wouldn't fly for a California company due to state laws, but it's an interesting example of employers having more authority over workers' off-the-job activities.
"Most workers in the private sector don't understand that, unless they live in Montana and Arizona, their job is at-will," Paul Secunda, an assistant professor of law at the University of Mississippi, told Yahoo! HotJobs. "At-will means an employee can be fired for good cause or no cause at all," Secunda said.
Besides smoking and overeating, activities with less risk, like blogging or volunteering for a political campaign, can be fair game for termination. You can find some important tips about protecting yourself in this article.
