Everyone benefits when the air is cleared of secondhand smoke—even smokers, some of whom will quit or at least cut back. Workers become healthier, and healthier workers miss less work, are more productive, and have lower health care costs.Going smoke-free reduces potential legal liability. Nonsmokers harmed by secondhand smoke at work have won lawsuits and disability claims against their employers under a variety of legal remedies.
The American Productivity Audit, a national survey of over 29,000 workers, found that tobacco use was a leading cause of worker lost production time—greater than alcohol abuse or family emergencies. Quitting smoking, or even just cutting back, improves a worker’s productivity.
One large company found that their employees who smoked had more hospital admissions (124 vs. 76 admissions per 1,000 workers) and a higher average insured payment for health care ($1,145 vs. $762) than their nonsmoking employees in an 11-month period.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2006, June). Save Lives, Save Money, Make Your Business Smoke-Free. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/secondhand_smoke/guides/business/pdfs/save_lives_save_money.pdf
References: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2006, June). Save Lives, Save Money, Make Your Business Smoke-Free. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/secondhand_smoke/guides/business/pdfs/save_lives_save_money.pdf