From vaping in the office to stealing a quick 15-minute cigarette break, smoking is still an unhealthy aspect of the workday, leaving employers and other staff in a smokey-grey limbo.
For HR Buddy founder and managing director Damien McCarthy, the discourse around smoking and vaping policy in the workplace continues to be “a real bone of contention”.
You would think, in 2024, that smoking in the workplace would be a thing of the past, yet statistics released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), show 1.3bn people worldwide regularly use tobacco products.
In an EU first, Ireland’s Government has today (14 May) approved legislation to raise the legal age at which you can buy tobacco from 18 to 21. And across the pond, England is debating a proposed smoking ban that would prohibit anyone born after 2009 from ever purchasing tobacco.
The knock-on-effect to the economy and healthcare sector would be considerable, but what of the workforce, where currently “smoking policies can be weak or not even exist”, according to McCarthy, with several omitting any guidelines around vaping?
Time theft or me time?
For many, an unscheduled 15-minute smoking break is all the motivation they need to contently get through the day’s work. Ironically, the fresh air, the hit of tobacco and the disruption to the regular agenda, can be compared to a self-care moment.
But as McCarthy explains, there is more than one person to consider in this scenario, as “work colleagues tend to view the smoking habits of their co-workers as an extra break that can add pressure to their existing workload”.
For employers, unsanctioned smoking breaks can also be a source of contention, as the employee is on the clock and any breaks taken in addition to the mandated rest periods, are “viewed as time theft”.
There is a trichotomy at play. The staff member who smokes or vapes likely feels that the work they do and the boost they get warrants a brief smoking break once or twice a day. For their co-workers, feelings of resentment can arise, often leading to “non-smokers becoming less productive and disengaged”, explains McCarthy. He notes, however, the leniency on the part of the boss regarding smoking could be used by non-smokers as a metaphorical stick to “beat the employer with”.
The last key figure in this unfortunate triangle is the employer, who technically allows the non-regulation breaks to persist, but who suffers financially and in terms of staff morale. The amount of time lost may seem negligible, but for McCarthy, there is a bigger picture, as he cites research that suggest smokers lose “six working days a year” in comparison to their non-smoking colleagues.
Help or hypocrisy?
Arguably, companies work against their own corporate social responsibility policies (CSR) by abdicating their role in the strict introduction of at work anti-smoking and vaping measures.
As McCarthy notes, priorities can be in direct contradiction of one another. There may be strong anti-smoking policies within a building, but “if there is a designated smoking area, people will go to it”.
“It really is about shifting the culture”, he says and destabilising that “vicious cycle” wherein employers “don’t want to rock the boat” by challenging smoking breaks or changing the status quo.
Rather than tearing down existing structures, employers and HR departments should “look to be proactive”, says McCarthy. “They should tackle smoking as part of a wellbeing policy. Some organisations do include the costs of smoking cessation programmes as part of their wellbeing strategy. This can have enormous benefits for both workers and the company.” These benefits could include “a decrease in sick days and lost time” as well as a workforce that is overall living a healthier lifestyle.
Unfortunately, McCarthy explains, every company is different and HR divisions “may find it difficult to get the necessary financial backing”. This is where employers and HR need to collaborate, to conceptualise a long-term plan for “long-term gain”.
It is worth noting, McCarthy states, that “legislation is strong enough”. By law, “workers are not entitled to smoking breaks”, there is a legal obligation to have “a smoke-free policy”, and this must be clearly displayed through signage.
That law, however, does not cover vaping and McCarthy thinks “perhaps it should”, as recent studies indicate vaping comes with its own health risks.
Ultimately, employers and HR departments have two options. They can rule with an iron fist, penalising smoking breaks in the workplace, banning vapes and dismantling any physical structures that could be utilised as a smoking shed, in a move that McCarthy would describe as “tough love” and potentially “toe-curling to even consider”.
Alternatively, he states, “there is a softer side” that should acknowledge that for some smoking areas and smoking breaks are valuable social outlets in the workplace. If companies are committed to a positive smoke-free culture, they should “invest from a wellbeing perspective in smoking cessation treatments”.
“Invest in your workers’ health,” he says.
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