JPMorgan Ex-Employee Sues Over Health Plan’s Tobacco Penalty

JPMorgan Chase & Co. was sued by a former employee who says the company wrongly charges extra fees to tobacco-using workers on its health plan without providing a valid way to have the charges waived.

The banking giant forces employees who smoke to pay a monthly penalty of $80 without giving them an opportunity to receive retroactive reimbursement for penalties previously paid, according to the proposed class complaint. JPMorgan waives the charges prospectively for employees who complete a tobacco cessation program, but its failure to provide retroactive reimbursement or sufficiently publicize the program violates federal law, plaintiff Robyn Carmichael ...