OTHER NEWS - Aug. 2, 1996

Motorola Lightens Up on Smoking Ban: The Schaumberg, Ill.-based company said it will no longer penalize employees who smoke on company property. After criticism from civil liberties groups and others, Motorola Inc. dropped the harshest provisions of an anti-smoking policy that were to take effect Thursday at two cellular-phone plants. Motorola had planned to fire employees caught smoking more than three times on company property, even if they were in their own cars. But the company listened “to some opinions from employees who felt the actual implementation would be too harsh” and decided not to do it, spokesman David Pinsky said. There is still a smoking ban inside the plants, although, Pinsky said, “people are not going to be written up. . . . We are still committed to a smoke-free work environment.”