TOLEDO, OHIO (WTOL) - The Hollywood Casino-Toledo implemented a policy that will only allow non-smokers to be hired for its staff.
Chrystal Herndon, the vice president of human resources said, "It is absolutely legal, and it's not considered discrimination. It's really determined by the state in which you operate."
The decision is backed by Ohio state law. A few other companies, such as ProMedica, have implemented similar policies.
"When we came into the state of Ohio, this was a climate that was ready and willing to let us take that next step in wellness, which was to have a non-smoking facility for non-smoking team members," said Herndon.
Applicants will be asked if they use any sort of tobacco product on their initial application. However, Herndon warns it is not worth lying.
"Once you do move further in the process, when we do our drug testing, we also test for tobacco use. So even if you're not 100 percent honest on the application, we'll still find it out later."
Applicants who fail the drug test can apply again in six months to prove they no longer have nicotine or drugs in their systems. The company has not decided whether or not they will continue to test employees after they are hired.
"This policy is truly in its infancy, and we don't yet know exactly how we'll line everything out," Herndon said.
Besides employee health, Herndon pointed out other benefits of having a smoke-free workforce.
"When you look at having employees that are non-smokers, your absenteeism goes down a little bit, and productivity increases as well," she said, "You just have a healthier workforce, which I think any organization would want that cares for their team members."
The company has taken other wellness initiatives before this one, such as putting gyms in its facilities and avoiding fried food in employee dining rooms.