Employee Smoking Policy

Policy Brief & Purpose

Our employee smoking policy outlines the rules regarding smoking in the workplace. This policy aims to protect non-smokers without unreasonably depriving smokers of their right to smoke.

What is Covered Under the Employee Smoking Policy?

Our employees who smoke need to follow this policy to:

Protect non-smokers from second-hand smoking
Avoid setting off alarms and smoke detectors
Preserve a clean workplace image
Prevent fires from discarded cigarettes

We will adhere to any legal guidelines regarding indoor smoking.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees of our company, as well as visitors, contractors, and temporary staff.

Policy Elements

Our policy refers to all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vaping devices. As a general rule, smoking/vaping is not allowed indoors. This rule applies to:

Working areas
Hallways
Staircases
Restrooms
Kitchens

Smoking is prohibited indoors at all times, not just during working hours. If an employee stays late at work, they are still obliged to follow this policy.

Areas Where Smoking is Permitted

We permit smoking during normal breaks at:

Designated smoking areas
Completely off the premises

We also advise our employees to:

Extinguish their cigarettes and discard them only in appropriate containers
Refrain from smoking when they have scheduled meetings with clients or professionals
Avoid smoking near flammable objects and areas

Support for Quitting Smoking

We are happy to support staff quitting smoking and will provide resources or assistance for those who wish to quit, such as information about local smoking cessation programs or access to nicotine replacement therapies.

Designated Smoking Area Maintenance

Designated smoking areas will be regularly cleaned, and cigarette waste will be properly disposed of in appropriate receptacles.

Policy Review and Updates

This policy will be reviewed periodically and updated as needed to comply with any changes in local, state, or federal laws and regulations related to smoking in the workplace.

Our Company’s Actions

We will:

Place signs in all areas where smoking is not allowed
Communicate this policy through staff training, induction, policies and procedures, bulletin boards, and internal newsletters Any employee who has a complaint regarding this policy can contact our management team.

Disciplinary Consequences

We expect employees to respect this policy and their colleagues. We will take disciplinary action towards employees who disregard this policy:

Employees who frequently violate this policy or cause severe problems (e.g., fires) may face consequences up to and including termination.
Employees who occasionally violate this policy or don’t cause major issues will face reprimands or the loss of benefits. Managers and our HR department are responsible for taking appropriate action after thoroughly investigating any incidents.