U-Haul recently announced that they will no longer hire nicotine users in 21 American states. These are the only states that currently allow nicotine use to inform hiring decisions.

The national moving and storage company currently employs over 30,000 employees across the United States and Canada. While this policy will not affect current U-Haul employees, it will affect new applicants in select American states.

This change comes with the interest of establishing a healthy corporate culture. U-Haul’s chief of staff stated the following:

“We are deeply invested in the well-being of our team members. Nicotine products are addictive and pose a variety of serious health risks. This policy is a responsible step in fostering a culture of wellness at U-Haul, with the goal of helping our team members on their health journey.”

There are 21 states that allow employers to consider tobacco use when making hiring decisions, including:

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Iowa
Kansas
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Nebraska
Pennsylvania
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington

Canadians and additional Americans in states not listed above can exhale, as this new policy can’t affect any other locations for the time being.

The new nicotine-free hiring policy will be implemented on February 1, 2020. At that time new applicants will see the policy implemented in the application and in interview questions. In states where permissible, applicants will need to consent to nicotine screening to be considered for employment.

Categories: