Smokers cost UK employers £10m a day

Britain’s
smokers are costing business more than £10m a day through cigarette breaks, and
even admit themselves that lighting up should be restricted at work.

Eighty-four
per cent of workers, and 69 per cent of smokers, think that smoking breaks
should be curbed in the workplace, if only to help cut costs.

The
Health & Safety Commission is currently working on a new version of the
approved code of practice on passive smoking at work, which could have a major
impact on employers.

Once
in force, organisations will have to carry out a risk assessment, introduce a
smoking policy and look at options to limit the effects of passive smoking on
staff.

Smoking
was only formally restricted in the workplace following the first code of
practice in 1999, and most employers now either restrict smoking to a
designated area or have a blanket ban.

By Ross Wigham

For
more information, read our Q and A on smoking in the workplace: Stubbing out
smoking at work