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Workers 'should be given time off to quit smoking'

Published On 25 April 2007 at 14:57:07

The bosses of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should give their employees paid time off work to encourage them to quit smoking, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has said.

Smoking in public places is set to be banned in the England from July 1st and NICE has published its guidelines designed to help businesses cope with the move.

Recent figures suggest that smoking costs UK businesses - including SMEs - £5 billion a year in lost productivity, absenteeism and fire damage.

To combat the problem NICE has recommended that bosses provide workers with information on local stop-smoking services and also allow them to attend these clinics during working hours without loss of pay.

"Small businesses recognise the need to support their staff in the workplace. Given the forthcoming ban on smoking in enclosed workplaces this support can now extend to helping employees who wish to stop smoking," said Mary Boughton, the Federation of Small Businesses' health and safety chairman.

"This situation works out well for employers and employees. It will improve the health of staff and the productivity of businesses."

However, the British Chamber of Commerce has already criticised the proposals, saying: "The idea that businesses should pick up the tab for an individual's tobacco addiction just shows how far removed from the economic reality of the workplace NICE is."

 

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