1. SHRM Poll: Smoking Policies in the Workplace
March 19, 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 Respondents who answered “Not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

5. Does your organization have any of the following practices/policies related to smoking?
2012
(n = 516)
2006
(n = 523)
2004
(n = 270)
Have designated smoking areas (outside of common areas)
58%
74%
72%
Offer a smoking cessation program
44%
36%
32%
Have written policies that state that smoking in undesignated areas may result in termination
27%
26%
17%
Have policies that limit the number of breaks employees can take during the day
Ban smoking in the workplace (both inside and outside the building)
20%
19%
Charge higher health care premiums for smokers 7% 5%
Charge higher life insurance premiums for smokers 8% 2% *
Prefer to not hire smokers 4%
Participate in smoke-out days
Ask about potential employees’ smoking behavior in the recruiting process 3%
Other 9% 6%
My organization does not have any 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).
Smaller organizations
Larger organizations
Differences based on organization size
1 to 99 employees (20%)
100 to 499 employees (38%)
500 to 2,499 employees (48%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (58%)
25,000 or more employees (85%)
Larger organizations > smaller organizations
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).
Smaller organizations
Larger organizations
Differences based on organizational size
1 to 99 employees (3%)
100 to 499 employees (11%)
500 to 2,499 employees (16%)
25,000 or more employees (44%)
Larger organizations > smaller organizations

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).
Smaller organizations
Larger organizations
Differences based on organization size
1 to 99 employees (16%)
500 to 2,499 employees (3%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (4%)
Smaller organizations > larger organizations
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.
Organization sector
Differences based on organization sector
Nonprofit (39%)
Privately owned for-profit (23%)
Nonprofit > privately owned for-profit
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.
Organization sector
Differences based on organization sector
Publicly owned for-profit (31%)
Privately owned for-profit (14%)
Nonprofit (9%)
Publicly owned for profit
>
privately owned for-profit,
nonprofit

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).
Smaller organizations
Larger organizations
Differences based on organization size
1 to 99 employees (37%)
100 to 499 employees (58%)
500 to 2,499 employees (73%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (67%)
25,000 or more employees (71%)
Larger organizations > smaller organizations
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).
Smaller organizations
Larger organizations
Differences based on organization size
1 to 99 employees (11%)
500 to 2,499 employees (36%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (41%)
25,000 or more employees (37%)
Larger organizations > smaller organizations

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 .
Organization sector
Differences based on organization sector
Publicly owned for-profit (71%)
Privately owned for-profit (59%)
Nonprofit (72%)
Government (30%)
Publicly owned for-profit,
privately owned for-profit ,
nonprofit
>
government
Privately owned for-profit and nonprofit organizations are more likely to communicate their smoking policies through employee handbooks/manuals, compared with government agencies.
Organization sector
Differences based on organization sector
Privately owned for-profit (75%)
Nonprofit (80%)
Government (51%)
Privately owned for-profit,
nonprofit
>
government
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.
Organization sector
Differences based on organization sector
Publicly owned for-profit (33%)
Nonprofit (36%)
Privately owned for-profit (16%)
Publicly owned for-profit,
nonprofit
>
privately owned for-profit

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).
Smaller organizations
Larger organizations
Differences based on organization size
1 to 99 employees (3%)
100 to 499 employees (7%)
500 to 2,499 employees (9%)
25,000 or more employees (31%)
Larger organizations > smaller organizations
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.
Organization sector
Differences based on organization sector
Publicly owned for-profit (23%)
Privately owned for-profit (8%)
Nonprofit (6%)
Publicly owned for-profit
>
privately owned for-profit ,
nonprofit

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. Differences based on organization sector
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.
Organization sector
Differences based on organization sector
Government (58%)
Publicly owned for-profit (20%)
Privately owned for-profit > government

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
Percentage
Manufacturing
26%
Health care and social assistance
15%
Other services except public administration
11%
Professional, scientific and technical services
Finance and insurance 9%
Educational services 8%
Public administration 7%
Transportation and warehousing 4%
Accommodation and food services
Construction 3%
Utilities
Wholesale trade 2%
Note: n = 482. Percentages may not equal 100% due to multiple response options.

20. Demographics: Organization Industry (continued)
Percentage
Religious, grant-making, civic, professional and similar organizations 2%
Retail trade
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Arts, entertainment and recreation
Information, publishing industries
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 1%
Repair and maintenance
Mining
Management of companies and enterprises
Personal and laundry services
Real estate and rental and leasing
Note: n = 482. Percentages may not equal 100% due to multiple response options.

21. Demographics: Organization Sector

22. Demographics: Organization Staff Size
Note: n = 477. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.

23. Demographics: Other
Does your organization have U.S.-based operations (business units) only or does it operate multinationally?
U.S.-based operations only
72%
Multinational operations
28%
n = 498
Is your organization a single-unit company or a multi-unit company?
Single-unit company: A company in which the location and the company are one and the same
31%
Multi-unit company: A company that has more than one location
69%
n = 503
Are HR policies and practices determined by the multi-unit corporate headquarters, by each work location or both?
Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices
47%
Each work location determines HR policies and practices 5%
A combination of both the work location and the multi-unit headquarters determine HR policies and practices
48%
n = 354
What is the HR department/function for which you responded throughout this survey?
Corporate (companywide)
64%
Business unit/division
17%
Facility/location
19%
n = 355

24. SHRM Poll: Smoking Policies in the Workplace
Methodology
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
For more poll findings, visit
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