Stephanie Cannon swears she didn’t break any “No Smoking” policy, but her former employer thought the stale smell of Camels on her clothes was a violation. Cannon, a pack-a-day smoker, says she was fired from her job as a receptionist at (irony!) a Saint Louis Park, Minn., hospital’s cancer center because she smelled like smoke. Cannon tried to minimize the odor, keeping her air-freshener-sprayed work clothes in a plastic bag, but that wasn’t enough. Minnesota law says smoking on your own time can be an issue if your employer considers it “an occupation-related hazard.” Even though the hospital tried to help Cannon quit, she’s talking to an attorney. She’s not ready to kick those butts yet — just the hospital’s.
