In Georgia, two state employees (same sex) go on a required business trip to the same conference. One is a smoker, one is a non-smoker. Can they be required to share a room? If so, does the smoker have the right to smoke in the room? The only departmental policy on smoking says they can not smoke on the departmental property. Can they be required to travel together? If so, can the smoker smoke in the car (They travel in one of their personal vehicles)? The state health plan charges smokers and those who live with smokers an additional premium, which implies to me that there is a health risk (which research shows us) to the non-smokers. But at the same time, does the smoker have a right to be able to smoke while on a 3 day trip?

On a separate note, can a supervisor be required to share a room with a subordinate?

They can be required to share a room and a vehicle. If the smoker has any sensitivity at all (and I'm a smoker, myself), she/he would agree to a nonsmoking room and not smoke in another person's car.

While I do not agree with the concept of forcing employees to share hotel rooms, no law prohibits it; nor does any law address the situation of having a supervisor and subordinate share a room. That's entirely up to the employer.

The smoking issue is one that will have to be handled by the employees themselves. This is not an issue that the law will address