The primary benefit of a smokefree environment
According to the National Cancer Institute, most employees are nonsmokers, almost half of employees currently work in environments where
smoking is prohibited in their work area or in public (shared) areas of their work site, and more than 80% work for companies that have an ETS policy. Clearly, employers are addressing how to deal with smoking in the workplace. Figure 2-1 lists some of the many benefits for both employees and employers that accrue from a smokefree workplace.
Support forWorkplace Policies
Comprehensive smoking policies, including facility-wide smokefree policies, are not new. However, smokefree policies have received a significant boost over the last 10 years as evidence of the risks associated with exposure to ETS has mounted and the public has become more aware of these risks. According to Gallup surveys, Americans know about the risks posed by ETS and favor efforts to reduce exposure to it. In 1992, 97% of nonsmokers and 79% of current smokers agreed that exposure to ETS is harmful to healthy adults. The percentage of
Americans who favor some type of restriction on workplace smoking increased from 81% in 1983 to 94% in 1992.
Employers have responded by implementing smokefree policies. A 1992 survey showed that 59% of private employers had either smokefree facility policies or permitted smoking only in separately ventilated smoking areas.4 A smaller 1994 survey of employers with up to 25,000 employees found that 54% of companies had implemented smokefree policies and that only 7% had no smoking policy at all.
Employee Morale
An employer sends a clear message to employees and the community with a smokefree policy: We care about the health and safety of our employees.
Scientific evidence proving that significant health risks are associated with ETS exposure supports employers against any claims of “harassing” employees or visitors who smoke. The employer’s concern for the health of employees is especially clear in the case of employees who have conditions that make them vulnerable to ETS, including employees who are pregnant or who have heart disease or allergies to tobacco smoke.
Support for employees who smoke goes hand in hand with policies that restrict smoking in the workplace. Helping employees who want to quit sends a straightforward message—the company cares about all employees, including smokers. More information about the kinds of support you may want to provide smokers is in Chapter Four.
Productivity and Medical Costs
A smokefree workplace can enhance productivity in two ways: by reducing the effects of ETS on nonsmokers and by reducing excess smoking-related absenteeism among smokers who are motivated to quit as a result of the smokefree policy. For small businesses especially, which have employees who handle a variety of tasks, productivity can be greatly increased by reduced absenteeism.
A smoker who quits smoking could save employers an estimated $960 in excess illness costs each year.6 Persons who quit smoking before age 65 were estimated to save from 40% to 67% of the lifetime excess medical costs of persons who continue to smoke.
