Promoting smoking cessation is good for your employees’ health, and it also makes good business sense. Becoming a smoke-free workplace shows that you are committed to the health and the future of your employees. Having a smoke-free workplace doesn’t just benefit your employees’ health – it also affects your company’s financial health. Following are different ways that being smoke-free benefits your company.
The Benefits of Being Smoke-Free
- Improves your employees’ health:
- Reduces the risk of lung cancer for smokers and for those exposed to second-hand smoke (exposure increases the risk of lung cancer by 12 to 19 percent).
- Reduces heart attacks for smokers and for those exposed to second-hand smoke (exposure increases the risk of a heart attack by 25 to 35 percent).
- Reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke and upper respiratory infections.
- Increases lung function and circulation.
- Lowers your costs:
- Employees who smoke cost their employers significantly more in medical expenditures and workers’ compensation than nonsmoking employees.
- Smoke-free businesses can expect to save $190 per 1,000 square feet of work space each year due to lower cleaning and maintenance costs.
- Banning smoking reduces the risk of fire and lowers fire and property insurance costs up to 25 percent.
- Smoking employees pay roughly one and one half times as much as nonsmoking employees for their health insurance.
- Increases productivity and morale:
- Smoking leads to inefficiency, errors, eye irritation and lower attention spans.
- Employees who take four 10-minute smoke breaks throughout the work day actually work one month less per year than those who do not smoke.
- Smoke-free workplaces are more attractive places to work for prospective employees.
- Employees take fewer sick days. Smokers miss an average of 6.2 days as a result of illness, whereas nonsmokers only miss an average of 3.9 days.
- Reduces your liability:
- Employees cannot file disability claims for being ill from secondhand smoke.
- Complies with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) by allowing individuals with respiratory problems to work in your environment because there is no tobacco smoke pollution.
Going smoke-free is one of the best ways to benefit your employees and your business. Contact Odell Studner to learn more about how to help your employees quit!
Sources: American Lung Association of Wisconsin, Center for Disease Control and Prevention