Getting paid $700 to smoke for a day

[dragoncar]

This thread gives me ideas.   How about telling your wife to start wearing a pillow under her shirt at work and tell everyone she is pregnant.   Both of you would get leave from work and free vacation time when her *baby* arrives.

Seems fair since they give this to some employees already but not others, just like the smoking bonus thing.

In your  scenario, the employee is lying that they are pregnant.  In the original post the employer is starting smoking to quit.  Purposely getting pregnant to take advantage of parental leave is morally closer to what was being proposed initially, which is A-OK.

I'd totally get pregnant for the benefits, then give it up for adoption.

[patrickza]

You'd have to pay me far more than $700 to smoke for a day. And imagine if the one day's worth of smoke still doesn't have you test positive. You'll be feeling miserable, not have $700 and be down the cost of a box of cigs.

Plus there's also the option of losing your job, or at least the bosses respect for lying.

[GuitarStv]

You'd have to pay me far more than $700 to smoke for a day. And imagine if the one day's worth of smoke still doesn't have you test positive. You'll be feeling miserable, not have $700 and be down the cost of a box of cigs.

Plus there's also the option of losing your job, or at least the bosses respect for lying.

What is the OP lying about?

This thread gives me ideas.   How about telling your wife to start wearing a pillow under her shirt at work and tell everyone she is pregnant.   Both of you would get leave from work and free vacation time when her *baby* arrives.

Seems fair since they give this to some employees already but not others, just like the smoking bonus thing.

In your  scenario, the employee is lying that they are pregnant.  In the original post the employer is starting smoking to quit.  Purposely getting pregnant to take advantage of parental leave is morally closer to what was being proposed initially, which is A-OK.

I'd totally get pregnant for the benefits, then give it up for adoption.

Hmm . . . I wonder if that's legit.  It would certainly make for some awkward questions at the office though.

[Mississippi Mudstache]

You'd have to pay me far more than $700 to smoke for a day. And imagine if the one day's worth of smoke still doesn't have you test positive. You'll be feeling miserable, not have $700 and be down the cost of a box of cigs.

Plus there's also the option of losing your job, or at least the bosses respect for lying.

What is the OP lying about?

This thread gives me ideas.   How about telling your wife to start wearing a pillow under her shirt at work and tell everyone she is pregnant.   Both of you would get leave from work and free vacation time when her *baby* arrives.

Seems fair since they give this to some employees already but not others, just like the smoking bonus thing.

In your  scenario, the employee is lying that they are pregnant.  In the original post the employer is starting smoking to quit.  Purposely getting pregnant to take advantage of parental leave is morally closer to what was being proposed initially, which is A-OK.

I'd totally get pregnant for the benefits, then give it up for adoption.

Hmm . . . I wonder if that's legit.  It would certainly make for some awkward questions at the office though.

Well, this is not exactly as morally dubious repugnant as your suggestion, but my wife and I worked really hard to get her knocked up this winter, so the baby would be born by the end of the year (in time to claim a deduction on our 2015 taxes!) But of course, we actually wanted a kid, so it was just a timing issue. Worked out, by the way. Baby is due Dec. 9!

As far as the OP's smoking issue: I would be impressed if he actually pulled it off, but it's not likely that I would attempt it myself. I get a $140/month discount on insurance for healthy weight + non-smoker, so claiming to be a smoker would be a bad idea for me.

[Dicey]

Employers normally run these kinds of incentive programs because it lowers their health insurance costs if employees quit smoking.

I would not have an ethical problem with claiming the money (after all, as a non smoker, you lower the bill for everyone else) - but chances are that you claimed to be a non-smoker on various health insurance and possibly life insurance forms. The risk of insurance retribution is low, but still... In the end, I probably wouldn't do it.

I share these concerns. Since my cat wants to nap on my keyboard, she says to say ditto. So, ditto. (Always obey the cat.)

[I'm a red panda]

I'd totally get pregnant for the benefits, then give it up for adoption.

Before doing this, make sure there ARE benefits. :)

Yes, I'll get leave when I have my baby- but it is all unpaid... 

[link_417]

Do it and donate half to charity. Win win.

Is that like buying indulgences?

Ha!

[Sibley]

I actually like the wellness incentive thing my company does.

Basically, you get a blood test and weighed. If your numbers are in the healthy ranges (BMI, blood sugar, etc...) then you get money. If you had improvements from the prior year, you get money. They have alternatives for pregnant women, those with lots of muscle mass, etc for whom the normal ranges are misleading or flat out wrong. Best, I just have to go to the clinic in the basement, they take my insurance, and I have no out of pocket cost for the testing. I'm going later this week. It then take 1-3 months to get the money, and they gross it up so you actually get $300 in your pocket.

[Guesl982374]

I'd pass. Ethics aside, you only get one body.

[Beaker]

I get a $140/month discount on insurance for healthy weight + non-smoker, so claiming to be a smoker would be a bad idea for me.

And that's what they should do - if you're already doing things right you should get cheaper insurance (or whatever). That's better than rewarding the transition from bad to good, because there's no incentive to do bad things just so you can get the rewards for "improving."

Reminds me of my wife's office, which started running incentives for physical and financial health. Bike to work, enroll in the 401k, see their free financial adviser, etc. So if you had your shit together already, you get nothing.

[fiveoh]

CVS?