Smokers left out in the cold on jobs front

A
third of UK businesses would employ a non-smoker over a smoker, according to
research published today.

The
research by ICM Research, Smoking in the Workplace Survey, questioned 100
recruitment consultants and UK businesses, and shows that 76 per cent of employers
regard smoking as now having a more negative impact on an employee’s career
than it did 20 years ago.

Meanwhile
one in seven recruitment consultants and one in five employers stated that they
believe smoking has a negative impact on job prospects.

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Dr
Alex Bobak, Chair of Scape (Smoking Cessation Action in Primary Care) and a GP
from Wandsworth, said: “A person’s career and health should not suffer for
something that is eminently treatable. With the support of your GP and the help
of effective treatments, smoking does not need to prevent you from achieving
your career goals.”

By Quentin Reade