Should Employers Dictate Employee Behavior At Home?

Recently, one of the countries' larger employers announced that it will no longer allow their employees to smoke, including at home or at any time. The company is providing several months for the employees that smoke to comply, seeing this as a method of reducing the company's health care insurance costs. The company says it will provide assistance with smoking cessation, however, employees that fail to quit will be terminated. Should employers be allowed to dictate what their employees can do even after work on their own free time? Is this is form of "social engineering" being initiated by employers under the guise of health care cost reduction? What is your employer determines that swimming or boating is dangerous, and they could save health care costs by preventing employees from boating accidents or drowning? They tell their employees that they can no longer go on a boat or ship, and cannot go to the beach because it's simply too close to water, and of course, water skiing is prohibited. And you pets are a potential source of bacteria, viruses and bites. To continue to work for your employer, you must get rid of all family members that have more than two legs (or no legs in the case of some reptiles). No dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, no pets of any kind. This, of course, will help reduce your employer's health care costs. In most states, an employer can terminate you for almost any reason, even the color of your shirt. If you are a member of a union, you have some protection against this (although union power is dwindling), for others, you can always collect unemployment. My guess is until the employers start saying no alcoholic beverages may be consumed by any employee at any time, not much will be said to stop these things from coming!