Guidelines from the National Institute for Halth and Clinical Excellence (NICE) propose  that employers should offer smoking cessation support.  According to the CIPD, supporting employees to stop smoking could leave businesses with a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.

Ben Willmott, Employee Relations Adviser at the CIPD, said:

“Employee well-being is rising up the agenda for many employers.  A healthy, happy workforce is likely to be a more productive one.  Employers who understand the health issues facing their employees, and who are able to offer innovative approaches to promoting good health can reap the benefits, not just in terms of reduced absence, but also in terms of a workforce that is more effective and more productive.

“Clearly each employer will need to consider what is right for their business.  But, having considered the available options, many employers may well conclude that offering smoking cessation support in the workplace will work for their business.  When you add together time taken for smoking breaks, and time taken off due to smoking related illness, the few hours of employee time and small amount of money involved in offering this kind of support may well look like an attractive investment.”

Around one third of organisations offered employees support to stop smoking last year.  The percentage of organisations currently offering support varies from sector to sector with the greatest percentage of organisations offering support (57%) in the public sector, followed by manufacturing (40%), non-profit organisations (31%) and lastly, private organisations (21%) according to the CIPD's 2006 Absence Management survey.

With smoking bans already in place in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, and with the ban in England due to come into force on 1st July, National No Smoking Day on 14th March received support from high profile employers such as Asda and Carphone Warehouse.

The subject of helping employees to quit smoking in the light of the new regulations was raised on the TJ Online Discussion Forum.  Phil Croskin said: 'One glaringly obvious way to address the No Smoking regulations is for businesses to make available to their employees an incentive to stop smoking. The employer could come to an agreement with a stop smoking provider to assist if any employee chooses to stop smoking.'

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