Bryn Mawr, Pa.-based Main Line Health will stop hiring tobacco and nicotine users starting May 1, according to a report by The Inquirer .
To be hired by the system, applicants will have to certify that they have not used tobacco or nicotine products, including electronic cigarettes, in the last 90 days. They will also need to pledge to refrain from doing so while employed, according to the report. If they violate the policy, new employees will be subjected to a smoking cessation program and random nicotine tests.
The new policy affects Main Line Health's current employees as well: Workers who smoke will have to pay $520 each year on their health plan starting in 2015.
"As part of our mission, we want to make sure our community is healthy. One of the best places to start is our own workforce," Paul Yakulis, senior vice president for human resources at Main Line, told The Inquirer.
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