Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Smoking in the workplaceWellbeing

Spotlight on: the smoking ban: three months on

by Natalie Cooper 1 Oct 2007
by Natalie Cooper 1 Oct 2007

Glossy magazines and tabloids lost no time adding a touch of glamour to the smoking ban after it came into effect on 1 July, with reports of the ‘smirting’ craze – where hardened smokers gather outside pubs, bars and clubs to smoke and flirt with each other through the smog – sweeping across the UK.

Not all smokers are having as much fun, however. Figures from Smokefree England show that around 70% of smokers say they want to stop smoking, and three months into the ban, an increasing number of employers are putting in place smoking cessation programmes and other support to help staff overcome their habit.

Research from the Royal College of Physicians and lobby group Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) suggests that smoking breaks cost employers £4bn and 30 million days in lost productivity each year – all of which adds up to a strong business case to support your staff in their attempts to quit.

Life coach Rosy Maria of Secret Success, a firm offering smoking cessation workshops, says: “Given these statistics, it is clear businesses can be adversely affected by smoking. Some action on the part of the employer could reap significant rewards in terms of both productivity and employee health.”

She adds that while employer support for workers who wish to kick the habit should not be compulsory, it can certainly be mutually beneficial.

Although the introduction of the smoking ban has provided an incentive for many long-term smokers to kick the habit for good, many smokers are reluctant to give up for fear of nicotine cravings and weight gain, so employers should suggest methods that will help staff to avoid these side effects.

“Providing support for smokers who want to quit could be an additional employee benefit,” adds Maria. “You are making a worthwhile investment in helping staff find other methods to stop smoking.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Top tips – an employee perspective

  • Make sure your employees really want to quit smoking. It’s no good if they’re only half committed, because it just won’t work.
  • Why not offer to put money towards any stop-smoking sessions for your employees? I can’t think of a better way to build a great relationship with them than to help them stub out, not to mention the benefits of having a healthier workforce.
  • There’s never a right time to quit, so encourage your employees to avoid using excuses such as ‘it’s not the right time’, ‘I’m too stressed at the moment’, ‘I’m not ready to quit’, ‘I don’t want to put on weight’, etc.
  • Encourage your employees to repeat the techniques they’re taught at any smoking cessation session or workshop throughout their working day.
  • Sending employees to a workshop helps them understand the myths surrounding smoking, and explains addiction and how it works.

Source: Kellie, ex-smoker

Natalie Cooper

previous post
Is human resources department’s ‘iron fist’ clamping down on courage?
next post
Celebrating with a smile: Customer Service Week

You may also like

Welfare cuts would ‘undermine workforce inclusion and business...

27 Jun 2025

One in four young workers rate mental health...

17 Jun 2025

CIPD Festival of Work: ‘Wellbeing is not an...

11 Jun 2025

Employers must offer more flexibility to working carers,...

9 Jun 2025

CIPD: A quarter feel work has negative impact...

9 Jun 2025

Why cash lump sums may not be the...

5 Jun 2025

Sickness absence falls to almost pre-pandemic rate

4 Jun 2025

One-third have witnessed substance abuse at work

3 Jun 2025

Preparing for a new era of workforce planning...

3 Jun 2025

Three ways technology can boost wellbeing outcomes

27 May 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+