According to Health Canada's 1996-97 National Population Health Survey, nearly 75 per cent of Canadian workers toil in environments where smoking is banned or at least restricted to designated areas. Absolutely, says the Conference Board of Canada.
Smokers call in sick about two more days a year than non-smokers.
On average they cost company drug plans twice as much as non-smokers. It costs employers money to create ventilated designated smoking areas for them. But the biggest drain on the bottom line comes from those little cigarette breaks. At the rate of 30 minutes a day, the average smoking employee racks up a whopping 18 days a year in time-outs for smokes. The Conference Board suggests they can improve their bottom line by offering employees a smoking cessation program.