Smoking in the Workplace: Tips to Help Employees Quit Smoking

Do some of your employees smoke in the workplace?

Well, you’ve options.

You could ban the habit, but the smokers could sue you for discrimination. You could create a designated smoking area, but your business will still be exposed to productivity losses. Another option is to help the smokers quit the habit.

Which way do you want to go?

If you chose the third option, you’re in luck. This article is a handy guide on how to help your employees quit smoking.

Educate Your Employees about the Health Dangers of Smoking

Smoking is a potentially fatal habit.

Every year, it kills over 480,000 people in the United States, and second-hand smoke exposure accounts for over 41,000 deaths. Smoking also weakens the smokers’ immune system, increasing their likelihood of getting sick.

Educating your employees about such health dangers of smoking is one of simplest measures you can take to help smokers quit. Bring in health experts and ask them to hold group sessions where employees can freely ask questions.

With this strategy, persistence is key. The more smoking awareness programs you run, the more likely smokers will get the message and act.

Encourage Vaping

Vaping helps smokers quit, especially when blended with expert support.

This is why you should encourage employees who smoke to start vaping. You can even go a step further and buy them vaping products. Vaporizer companies such as this vape site offer trendy, yet cost-effective vape mods that your smoking employees will love.

In addition to helping smokers quit, vaping is better for the workplace as there’s no production of second-hand smoke. 

Offer Attractive Quit-Smoking Incentives

Cash rewards, paid vacations, and work-from-home opportunities are some of the incentives you can offer to encourage smoking employees to drop the habit.

For this method to work, though, you need to be clever with your choice of incentives. Ensure what you’re offering is relevant to the worker and too good to turn down

For example, if a certain worker would love to come with their dog to work but your company has a no pet policy, offer them the opportunity to bring their pet to work – but only when they stop smoking!

If an employee feels the incentive will improve the work-life, they could be motivated to give up the nicotine.

Choose a Health Insurer Offering Tobacco Cessation Benefits

Most smokers are unable to afford professional smoking treatment.

As an employer, you can change that by choosing a health insurance company that provides tobacco cessation coverage. And if there are costs the smoker needs pay out of pocket, settle it on their behalf. After all, you stand to save about $6,000 annually per every employee who quits smoking.

Smoking in the Workplace: You Can Help Employees Quit the Habit

Smoking in the workplace not only puts the health of your workers at risk but also exposes your business to financial losses and lawsuits.

While you can enforce a smoking ban, it’s more effective to help your employees quit. Sure, smoking addiction is hard to beat, but as long as you implement the tips fleshed out above, there’s a chance some or all will quit.

As you do that, learn how employee wellness programs can improve office productivity.