WASHINGTON - Europeans who complain about having to step outside in mid-winter to have a cigarette or not being able to enjoy a quick puff with their espresso should spare a thought for their US counterparts.
In the United States, you can lose your job for lighting up -- even on your own time.
That's what happened to Scott Rodrigues of Massachusetts, and he is suing the Scotts lawncare company for violating his privacy and civil rights.
"It's a freedom thing: 90 percent of Americans support me and in Europe it's more like 100 percent," said Rodrigues, who claims that since he was fired last year he has featured in newspaper articles in Britain and appeared on radio shows in Poland and Lithuania.
A poll published last week showed that most Americans think Rodrigues's firing was unfair. Only seven percent of Americans think employers should be allowed to sack workers who smoke, the survey said. Full story
In the United States, you can lose your job for lighting up -- even on your own time.
That's what happened to Scott Rodrigues of Massachusetts, and he is suing the Scotts lawncare company for violating his privacy and civil rights.
"It's a freedom thing: 90 percent of Americans support me and in Europe it's more like 100 percent," said Rodrigues, who claims that since he was fired last year he has featured in newspaper articles in Britain and appeared on radio shows in Poland and Lithuania.
A poll published last week showed that most Americans think Rodrigues's firing was unfair. Only seven percent of Americans think employers should be allowed to sack workers who smoke, the survey said. Full story
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