Presentation Transcript

1. SHRM Poll: Smoking Policies in the Workplace

   February 2012
2. Key Findings Do organizations have a formal policy against hiring smokers? The majority of organizations (95%) do not have a formal policy against hiring smokers and have no plans to implement such a policy. Only 2% of organizations currently have a formal policy against hiring smokers, while 3% of organizations plan to implement such a policy within the next 12 months. What smoking policies do organizations have in place? The most common smoking policy that organizations have in place is one that designates specific smoking areas outside of the common areas (58%). The prevalence of this policy decreased from 2006 (74%) and 2004 (72%). Other policies include offering a smoking cessation program (44%) and enforcing written a policy that states smoking in undesignated areas may result in termination (27%). How are smoking policies communicated? More than two-thirds of organizations convey their smoking policies through employee handbooks/manuals (70%), 60% through new employee orientations and 58% through “no smoking/smoking” signs and/or posters in designated areas. Do organizations offer employee health insurance discounts for non-smokers or those in smoking cessation programs? 20% of organizations offer this type of health insurance discount to employees. Of these organizations, 10% offer the discount to non-smokers only, 8% offer the discount to both non-smokers and participants in smoking cessation programs, and 2% offer the discount only to participants in smoking cessation programs. Larger organizations (25,000 or more employees) are more likely to offer employee health insurance discounts to non-smokers compared with smaller organizations (1 to 2,499 employees).
3. Key Findings What types of treatments do organizations offer in their smoking cessation program? More than half of organizations provide individual counseling (57%), nicotine replacement therapy (55%) and/or cessation medications (53%). Do organizations impose disciplinary actions against employees who violate the smoking policy? Of the organizations that have smoking practices/policies, nearly three-quarters (74%) take disciplinary actions against employees who violate the organization’s smoking policies. The majority of organizations give a verbal warning (77%) or a written warning (63%). Almost one-half of smoking policy violations result in termination (41%).
4. Does your organization have a formal policy against hiring smokers? Note: n = 495 (2012); n = 523 (2006); n = 270 (2004). In 2006 and 2004, the question was asked as part of the policies question on slide 5. An asterisk (*) indicates data are not available for these response choices in 2006 and 2004. Respondents who answered “Not sure” were excluded from this analysis.
5. Does your organization have any of the following practices/policies related to smoking? Note: Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. An asterisk (*) indicates that data are not available for the response option. Respondents who answered “Not sure” were excluded from this analysis.
6. Does your organization have any of the following practices/policies related to smoking? Comparisons by organization staff size Larger organizations (25,000 or more employees) are more likely to offer a smoking cessation program, compared with smaller organizations (1 to 24,999 employees). Larger organizations (25,000 or more employees) are more likely to charge higher health care premiums for smokers, compared with smaller organizations (1 to 2,499 employees).
7. Does your organization have any of the following practices/policies related to smoking? Comparisons by organization staff size Smaller organizations (1 to 99 employees) are more likely to have no practices/policies related to smoking, compared with larger organizations (500 to 24, 999 employees). Comparisons by organization sector Nonprofit organizations are more likely to ban smoking in the workplace (both inside and outside the building), compared with privately owned for-profit organizations. Publicly owned for-profit organizations are more likely to charge higher health care premiums for smokers, compared with privately owned for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
8.  How are smoking policies communicated throughout your organization? Note: n = 473. Only respondents whose organizations had practices/policies related to smoking were asked this question. Respondents who answered “Not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.
9. How are smoking policies communicated throughout your organization? Comparisons by organization staff size Larger organizations (100 or more employees) are more likely to communicate their smoking policies through “No smoking/smoking” signs and/or posters in designated areas, compared with smaller organizations (1 to 99 employees). Larger organizations (500 or more employees) are more likely to communicate their smoking policies through the organization’s intranet, compared with smaller organizations (1 to 99 employees).
10. How are smoking policies communicated throughout your organization? Comparisons by organization sector Publicly owned for-profit, privately owned for-profit and nonprofit organizations are more likely to communicate their smoking policies during the new employee orientation, compared with government agencies . Privately owned for-profit and nonprofit organizations are more likely to communicate their smoking policies through employee handbooks/manuals, compared with government agencies. Publicly owned for-profit and nonprofit organizations are more likely to communicate their smoking policies through their organization’s intranet, compared with privately owned for-profit organizations.
11.  Are disciplinary actions taken against employees who violate the smoking policy? Note: n = 382. Only respondents whose organizations have practices/policies related to smoking were asked this question. Respondents who answered “Not sure” were excluded from this analysis.
12.  What disciplinary actions are taken against those who violate the smoking policy? Note: n = 292. Only respondents whose organizations had practices/policies related to smoking and enforced disciplinary actions against those who violated the smoking policy were asked this question. Respondents who answered “Not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.
13. Does your organization offer employee health insurance discounts for non-smokers or those in smoking cessation programs? n = 465
14. Does your organization offer employee health insurance discounts for non-smokers or those in smoking cessation programs? Comparisons by organization staff size Larger organizations (25,000 or more employees) are more likely to offer employee health insurance discounts only to non-smokers, compared with smaller organizations (1 to 2,499 employees). Comparisons by organization sector Publicly owned for-profit organizations are more likely to offer employee health insurance discounts only to non-smokers, compared with privately owned for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
15.  What types of treatments are offered in your organization’s smoking cessation program? Note: n = 221. Only respondents whose organizations offered a smoking cessation program were asked this question. Respondents who answered “Not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.
16. What types of treatments are offered in your organization’s smoking cessation program? Comparisons by organization sector Government agencies are more likely to offer group counseling as part of their organization’s smoking cessation program, compared with publicly owned for-profit organizations.
17.  Is smoking in company vehicles permitted in your organization? Note: n = 424. Respondents who answered “Not sure” were excluded from this analysis.
18.  Is the sale of cigarettes available in your organization? Note: n = 499. Respondents who answered “Not sure” were excluded from this analysis.
19. Demographics: Organization Industry Note: n = 482. Percentages may not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
20. Demographics: Organization Industry (continued) Note: n = 482. Percentages may not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
21. Demographics: Organization Sector n = 487
22. Demographics: Organization Staff Size Note: n = 477. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.
23. Demographics: Other
24. SHRM Poll: Smoking Policies in the Workplace Response rate = 18% Sample composed of 516 randomly selected HR professionals from SHRM’s membership Margin of error +/- 4% Survey fielded January 18-January 30, 2012 Methodology For more poll findings, visit www.shrm.org/surveys Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SHRM_Research