In an interview with CBS radio’s Christopher Buckley, Richard Levick discussed U-Haul’s controversial announcement to no longer hire nicotine users in 21 states that currently permit this practice. With Uber and Lyft not required to provide their drivers with any benefits, U-Haul is making a decision to reduce healthcare costs while remaining a competitive alternative. U-Haul is the market leader; they’re betting the market will view them as health care conscious, driving down the costs for the overwhelming majority of their drivers who do not smoke, rather than be seen as discriminatory by the 14% of the market that does. Social media hasn’t been kind, but that’s not unusual. The stock price has continued to rise.
Read: U-Haul Announces Nicotine-Free Hiring Policy
