Recall that the highest rates of smoking are in blue-collar occupations, where much of the work is performed outdoors. Some by-laws exclude private homes and independent contractors or partnerships or exempt private social functions held in otherwise restricted workplaces. Furthermore, virtually all legislation assumes that work is paid work. Looking ahead, policy-makers should expand the definition of workplace to include homes.
Teleworking is also on the rise.
A growing number of employees are performing their job functions at home or in other remote locations via computer, fax and modem. These new forms of work are not yet well documented. At issue, then, is the ability of legislation to extend to all places where individuals work. The distinction now common in Canadian laws between public places and workplaces has excluded a number of industries from the purview of workplace ETS restrictions. From a health policy perspective, we need to know the proportion of smokers involved in home-based businesses and teleworking.