Smoking policy requires study

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Dear Joan:
The company I work for is currently tackling the task of setting a smoking policy. An ad hoc committee, of which I'm a member, has been formed to set guidelines for this policy and for its implementation. This committee is equally represented by both smokers and non-smokers to ensure each issue receives attention from both perspectives.

The first couple of meetings have produced a consensus that designated smoking areas will be allowed initially, with the understanding a smoke-free environment is the final goal some time in the future. Many of the issues were handled by the Wisconsin law which went into effect December 19, 1989, but room for interpretation is still there.

The snag which the committee is now facing regards whether or not personnel with enclosed offices should be able to designate these offices as smoking or non-smoking. My feeling is there will be more negative aspects than benefits by allowing smoking in private offices. From past experience the more areas needing "policing" the more problems will arise.

Smoking in offices probably will produce resentment from employees not enjoying the luxury of an enclosed office while they are struggling with a very real physical problem. Another inequity arises between workers whose job enables them to take advantage of their supervisor's office being a designated smoking office while other employees have bosses with smoke-free offices.

How can we deal with this issue?

Answer:
I agree with your analysis. The smoking issue is an emotional one and perceived inequities will make it worse. On the surface, allowing smoking behind office doors seems logical- since it doesn't appear to affect non-smokers- but other companies who have tried this will say you're asking for trouble.

Unfortunately, your predictions come true. Says one human resources executive, "It sets up a class difference between the haves and the have nots. The people who have higher status can smoke [behind closed doors] but no one else can. On the other hand, if all levels of the company are expected to follow the same rule, it can have a unifying affect. When a senior vice president and a front line employee are both struggling to quit, they feel that they are in it together."

Another manager who had first hand experience with the closed-door dilemma added, "Secretaries and subordinates who smoked found excuses to use their boss's offices when they were empty. Sometimes sympathetic managers would hold bogus meetings with their friends who smoked. Non-smokers who met in smokers' offices were subjected to concentrated smoke. We quickly realized that this was a bad idea."

Using a designated area for awhile will help the smokers to phase into the smoke free environment philosophy. However, problems could develop if smokers take frequent smoking breaks or there isn't adequate ventilation of the break areas. Overall enforcement could be a problem.

If you aren't working with the American Lung Association or the American Cancer Society, you should be. They provide complete programs and resources for companies who are working on this issue. They also have many case studies and research which will help you choose the best course of action for your company.

Here are some ideas from these organizations:

·        Hold clinics for people who want to quit smoking.

·        Hold educational sessions for everyone, including people who don't smoke. They need to understand the physical addiction and emotional nature of this issue. Managers also need to know exactly what the policy means at each stage, how to handle employee relations problems and techniques for support and enforcement.

·        Provide free self-help materials (relaxation tapes, self-help kits, literature) for those who wish to quit and pick up the cost for on-site smoking cessation programs.

·        Consider financial incentives. For instance, some studies show that paying a small weekly bonus to non-smokers was very effective. Other companies gave people bonuses if they stayed off cigarettes for over a year. Other companies feel quitting is its own reward.

·        Avoid situations that will make the smokers feel pressured or like second class citizens because they smoke. Also, educate non-smokers about how well-intended support can become counter-productive.

·        Make the rules crystal clear about where and when employees may smoke (if at all). Anticipate questions and the potential for bending the rules and have open question and answer sessions or literature that spells out the policy at each stage.

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