Workplace Buzz: Today’s Headlines

Workplace Buzz on October 29, 2007 7:13 AM

Employers’ Smoke-Free Programs
Corporate America has made big strides toward the smoke-free workplace. Its next goal: the smoke-free worker. Many businesses are seeking to reduce their medical bills by paying for programs to help employees stop smoking. A decade ago, such programs were rare. But recent surveys indicate that one-third of companies with at least 200 workers now offer smoking cessation as part of their employee benefits package. Among the nation’s biggest companies, the number may be nearly two-thirds of employers. New York Times

One State Approves Maternity Leave
The Ohio Civil Rights Commission has voted to require that companies with at least four employees offer mothers 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. That's more specific than the current state law requiring that women get a "reasonable" period of time off to care for a newborn. A legislative committee must still sign off on the change, but that step is generally just a formality. The new policy would put Ohio among at least 19 states that provide more generous maternity benefits than required by federal mandates. Associated Press

Accepting Imperfections
In 20 years as an obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr. Hilda Hutcherson has helped poor women and very wealthy women. What they all have in common, she says, is a basic dissatisfaction with their bodies. Her mission is to change that. She's a professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology, and an associate dean at Columbia University's medical school, a magazine columnist and the author of three books. Newsweek

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