Why ButtOut at Work?
Why Butt Out at work?
Increase Employee Productivity
- Helping your employees to quit smoking may greatly increase productivity within your organization
- On average, regular smokers* smoke 6.4 cigarettes per day during working hours, with an estimated loss of 10 minutes of productive time per occasion1
- Assuming 3 of these cigarettes are smoked during non-break time, approximately 15 days per year** are lost as unproductive time due to cigarette breaks
- Combining this with approximately 64 hours of lost time due to additional sick leave2 equates to an estimated yearly cost of $6,427 per employee** (average employment cost of $35.71 per hour3)
*Based on participants in a recent workplace smoking study in the UK2
**Based on an 8 hour work day
Increase Employee Happiness & Well Being
- Quitting smoking generally increases the overall happiness and well being of employees
- There is a common myth that smokers face a more miserable life after quitting smoking. The opposite was found in the results of a recent UK study, indicating that quitting smoking actually increases happiness4
- 70% of quitters surveyed said they are happier after giving up smoking whereas only 3% said they are less happy4
References:
1Padraic JR. Time cost associated with smoking at work highlighted by baseline survey of employees participating in a workplace smoking cessation programme. Occup Med (Lond) 2006; 56:510.
2Lundborg P. Smokers take more sick leave per year. British Journal of Tobacco Control 2007; 16:114-8
3 a) Australian Social Trends. Trends in hours worked. Commonwealth of Australia. 4102.0.2006. b) Australian Bureau of Statistics. Average Weekly Eaernings. 6302.0.2007. c) Understanding Labour Costs. Australian Economic Indicators. December 1993.
4.Quitting smoking makes you happier. Cancer Research UK Press Release. Cancer Research UK. London. June 29, 2007.