Creating a Tobacco Free Workplace

Step One: Assess the Current Situation
Your first step is to assess the current situation so you know where you are. Review your company's current policies, practices and employee attitudes in regard to tobacco policies. Use the checklist below.

Current Smoking/Tobacco Use Policy and Practices Checklist

Our current smoking policy allows tobacco use by employees and visitors:

	In offices
	In designated smoking rooms
	Other places inside (list)
	Just outside the front door
	In the parking lot
	In designated smoking areas outside
	In vehicles
	Other places outside (list)

Employees and visitors currently use tobacco:

	In offices
	In designated smoking rooms
	Other places inside (list)
	Just outside the front door
	In the parking lot
	In designated smoking areas outside
	In vehicles
	Other places outside (list)

Also, review any state or local regulations on tobacco use in the workplace and get a sense of how other businesses in your area approach this issue. Gather and use this information to guide the development and implementation of the policy. Although you are not putting the policy “to a vote,” most workers do support tobacco-free policies. Allowing employees to express their opinions will facilitate and guide implementation of the policy.

Support for Employees Who Smoke

The effect of implementing a tobacco-free policy will be most immediate for employees who smoke. You can help them adjust to changes introduced by your smoking policy by communicating the following:

• Inform employees in advance that a new policy is being developed.
• After the policy is implemented, let smokers know that you appreciate their efforts to comply with the policy.
• Offer smoking cessation assistance.
• Ask nonsmoking employees to support and encourage smokers.
• Plan for continuing support of smokers who want to quit.

Your goal should be a tobacco-free workplace, not to stigmatize employees who use tobacco. Employees who smoke can be offered varieties of assistance plans, from comprehensive programs to more limited referrals. The table below lists some of these types of programs. To tailor a program to fit your company, you can mix and match from these options:

Level of Support	Pros	Cons
Comprehensive
Offer and pay for smoking cessation programs for employees and covered dependents.	May enhance health status of employees	More expensive than other options
	May help contain healthcare costs	Requires a significant effort by the employer
	Allows employer to assess impact of smoking program
Provide communication to all employees about changes in smoking policies and support to be offered.	More likely to yield changes in smoking behavior
	Demonstrates employer’s commitment to helping employees who smoke
Facilitation
Work with health care providers (insurers and Health Maintenance Organizations) to provide smoking cessation for employees.	May enhance health status of employees	Requires significant start-up effort
	Takes advantage of existing resources	Health care providers may be unwilling to provide support.
Provide self-help cessation materials.	Does not require continuing effort or monitoring by employer
Provide communication to all employees about changes in smoking policies and support to be offered.
Referral
Provide employees with information on community smoking cessation programs.	Takes advantage of existing resources	Less effect on smoking behavior and healthcare costs
Provide self-help cessation materials.	Less expensive than comprehensive support
Provide communication to all employees about changes in smoking policy.	Easier to implement than comprehensive support or facilitation

Incentives
Incentives are most effective in increasing interest in quitting. Even small rewards or recognition, such as in a company newsletter, can help smokers succeed at cessation by providing a concrete goal.

 

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Step Two: Decide on a New Policy and Develop a Plan to Implement It

Use the information you have gathered to help you decide which policy you will implement. Compare the current situation with the options for workplace policies. Use the model policy as a reference. You should also consider how to handle other tobacco products, such as spit tobacco or snuff, if the employees use these products. It is reasonable and consistent to handle all tobacco products at the same time and in the same manner.

While many possible smoking policies exist, only two are viable in today's social and scientific environment:

(1) Tobacco-free environment in company facilities and vehicles; can be extended to include the property or grounds of the employer.

(2) Separately ventilated areas. Smoking limited to separately ventilated smoking rooms.

The following table compares the two types of smoking

Policy	Pros	Cons
1. Tobacco Free
Smoking/tobacco use is not allowed inside any building or company vehicle.	Complies with all laws and ordinances	Requires smokers to modify their behavior
	Greatly reduces SHS exposure for all employees
Tobacco use occurs only at designated outdoor locations. Policy can be extended to prohibit tobacco use on company grounds.	Provides best health and safety benefits for employees	Some costs may be incurred if outside smoking shelters are constructed.
		Employees smoking directly outside building impact image.
Employees who smoke refrain from smoking throughout the workday or leave company grounds to smoke.	May reduce the number of cigarettes smoked by employees; may encourage employees to quit smoking	Inconvenience to employees who smoke
	Decreases maintenance costs	If not properly managed, smokers may be disproportionately absent from their work stations.
	Sends a clear message to employees
	Easier to administer and enforce
	Low cost to implement
2. Separately Ventilated Areas
Smoking is allowed only in dedicated smoking rooms. The rooms have separate ventilation systems designed to prevent SHS from leaking into other areas of the building.	Complies with most laws and ordinances	May have adverse effects on smokers’ health
	Reduces nonsmokers’ exposure to SHS	Requires space
	Allows smokers to stay indoors	Ventilation systems may not adequately protect nonsmokers from SHS.
		Building and maintaining separately ventilated lounges is expensive.

Key Principles of Successful Tobacco-Free Policy Implementation

• Focus on smoke, not the smoker.
• Focus on health and safety regarding tobacco, not individual rights.
• Obtain management commitment and support. This support can be made visible to employees through the use of paycheck stuffers, posters, newsletters and other company communication channels.
• Provide training for middle managers and supervisors on policy communication and enforcement.
• Provide real and visible opportunities for employee participation in policy planning and implementation.
• Educate the workplace community about the hazards of combining SHS and materials used in work processes.
• Allow four to six months from the time of the announcement to implementation, depending on the size of the organization and the magnitude of the change from the old to the new policy.
• To maximize motivation, plan to implement the policy in conjunction with national events such as the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout in November or around New Year's Day (when people are making New Year's resolutions).
• Ensure that restrictions and enforcement are equitable across job categories.
• Offer smoking cessation programs to all employees and their families before and after the policy change.
• Enforce the tobacco policy just as any other policy would be. Provide training in enforcement for supervisors. Do not differentiate between smoking breaks and any other kind of breaks.
• Anticipate unintended effects (e.g., the concentration of smoke in designated areas).
• Continue to provide smoking cessation educational opportunities and programs after the policy has been implemented to support employees in their attempts to quit smoking and to prevent relapse.

 

Items that the company's policy should include:

• Purpose for policy (harmful effects of SHS on health)
• A tie between the tobacco policy and cessation support and the recognizable corporate values (e.g., performance of employees as an asset)
• Clear statement of where tobacco use is prohibited
• Clear statement of where tobacco use is permitted (if anywhere)
• Clear statement on enforcement and consequences of noncompliance
• Clear statement of support to be provided for employees who smoke (e.g., cessation assistance)
• Name and phone number of person who can answer questions about the policy

Plan how to make the transition smooth and the policy work

This implementation plan will guide the rest of your actions. You may want to tie significant events (such as the effective date of the policy) to existing events, such as the Great American Smokeout (November) or the season (if your smokers will need to go outside to comply, begin during a mild season). The plan should include: when the policy will be announced (at least four months before the effective date; longer for very large organizations); when the policy will become effective; events that will be tied to the transition; supportive activities for smokers; role of contact person listed in policy; role(s) of work groups or task forces; sufficient time for acquiring appropriate signs to communicate the policy; mechanism for allowing employee feedback during the transition period; and time to negotiate and work with labor unions, if needed.

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Step Three: Communicate with Employees and Management

Once you have composed your plan, you will need to inform your employees about the upcoming changes. Remember to consider the need to involve – or at least communicate with – management and labor unions (if present). It is important that all employees understand the policy changes and the implications of these changes.

Mid-level managers or supervisors need to understand their responsibilities for implementing and enforcing the policies. You may want to hold meetings to familiarize them with their roles. These meetings can be useful in anticipating and preparing for potential problems, such as the abuse of break time or tension between smokers and nonsmokers.

The following are questions and suggested talking points or resources about the policy:

Will there be a reduction in healthcare costs at the end of year one?

• It will be difficult to promise savings in healthcare costs within one year.

Note: An accurate assessment of who is using tobacco before the new policy takes effect and a comparison of who is smoking among employees at the end of year can be used to calculate the potential cost benefit of the smoke-free/tobacco-free policy.

 
Does passive smoking really have any adverse health effects on nonsmokers?

• SHS is a proven health hazard. It has been classified as a Group A (known human) carcinogen, as have asbestos and benzene. Nonsmokers subjected to SHS are exposed to nicotine, carbon monoxide and cancer-causing agents. More people die from SHS than all other regulated occupational substances combined.
  
• Seek the support of your corporate medical director or a community health professional.
  

Should employees be allowed to take time away from their job to participate in smoking cessation activities?

• Plan cessation programs at times that are not part of the workday but are convenient for employees (e.g., before work, during lunch or after work).
  
• Point out that over the long term, time off to attend smoking cessation programs will add up to less time than employees take to smoke.
  

Will a tobacco-free policy result in the loss of smoking employees?

• Very few employees leave companies because of implementation of smoke-free policies: 3.5 percent of an extensive small business sample and two percent of another sample said employees left due to a smoke-free policy.

 

Will a tobacco-free policy be difficult to enforce?

• Enforcement procedures are almost never needed because most policies are self-enforcing and compliance is very high. Compliance is high because both management and employees usually support the smoke-free tobacco-free policy.
  

Will tobacco-free policies alienate clients?

• In most cases, clearly posted signs are enough to alert clients to your smoke-free/tobacco-free policy.
  
• Some companies hand out a small card explaining the policy.
  

Won't tobacco-free policies cost too much time and money to implement?

• Experience and limited survey data have demonstrated that developing and implementing a tobacco-free policy does not need to be expensive or time-consuming. Costs and time can be saved with well-thought-out implementation.

 

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STEP Four: Announce and Manage the Policy

Formally announce the policy to all employees and prepare for implementation. Suggested actions include the following:

• Announce the policy and cessation support by using your company's standard communication channels. It is important to demonstrate that management fully supports the policy (e.g., the announcement should come from the chief executive officer or appropriate senior officer).
• Announce a timeline for implementing the tobacco policy and cessation activities. The announcement should be made in advance of the policy's effective date to allow tobacco users to prepare for changes and to permit any facility or material changes that might be necessary such as removal of cigarette vending machines, placement of outdoor ashtrays and “Smoke-free Area/Thank You for Not Smoking” signs and necessary ventilation modifications.
• Offer smoking cessation support at the same time as the advance announcement of the pending policy change as well as before and after the effective date. Strong restrictions on smoking may encourage smokers to think about quitting.
• Obtain signs that communicate a positive “smoke-free” message.
• Offer to answer employee questions and invite comment about the policy and cessation activities.
• On the effective date of the policy, you should have signs in place, facility changes complete and smoking cessation and smoker support ready.

Take advantage of the time between the announcement and the policy effective date to anticipate issues that may arise and work to resolve them.

Don't stop after the effective date of the policy
As with other policies, the implementation of the smoke-free policy needs to be monitored for effectiveness. Monitoring allows you to tailor implementation and related cessation support and it allows you to report to management and employees about the impact of the policy.

Plan to assess your policy by finding the answers to the following:

Assessment in the short-term (first one to three months)

• Changes in exposure to SHS in the work environment
• Number of employees attending cessation activities or using self-help materials
• Awareness of the policy
• Employee attitudes toward policy and cessation activities
• Improved employee morale
• Less conflict between smokers and nonsmokers
• Enhanced quality of work
• Improved job satisfaction

 

Assessment in the long-term (three months to a year)

• Changes in number of employees who use tobacco
• Effect of cessation activities on successful quitting
• Changes in health risks for smokers and nonsmokers
• Enhanced corporate image
• Improved employee attitude toward health
• Reduced absenteeism
• Reduced healthcare costs
• Lower accident rate
• Decline in turnover
• Fewer sick days
• Improved productivity

You also may want to evaluate your policy over the longer term (e.g., one to three years). This step will require more effort and time, but it can provide valuable information, such as awareness of tobacco policy and smoking cessation activities, participation in smoking cessation activities, effectiveness of smoking cessation activities, and management support and tobacco policy enforcement.

 

Assess whether your tobacco policy and cessation support are working

Here are some other reasons for evaluation of tobacco policies and cessation activities:

• To identify areas for modification
• To tell employees and management what happened
• To provide a structure for the evolution of the policy or activities

All policies and activities need to evolve to meet the changing needs of the organization and employees. Assessment data can help you to justify changes in the policy or activities to meet these changing demands. You will need to tailor the concepts so that they will work in your setting, but these steps have been tested and proven in various environments.

 

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