An estimated 10 million adults smoke in Great Britain and despite smoking being one of the biggest risk factors contributing to lifestyle-related diseases, smoking interventions are the least likely wellness support to be provided by companies.
Research from Britain’s Healthiest Company, the biggest study of employee health and wellbeing in the UK, shows that British companies are failing to support their staff in their efforts to give up, both through their smoking policies and the health and wellness support and programmes they provide. Britain’s Healthiest Company, which is run by Vitality and Mercer, surveyed over 25,000 employees from 82 companies across a diverse range of industries and employer sizes.
Britain’s Healthiest Company data found:
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Of all the health and wellness facilities offered, smoking interventions account for four of the five health and wellness programmes
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These include discounted/free smoking cessation programmes (offered by 10.97% of companies) or the company health insurer (4.87%), and discounted/free nicotine patches or medication provided by the company (6.09%) or company health insurance (1.21%)
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Only one in ten companies provide discounted/free smoking cessation programmes
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Over a third (33.33%) of organisations said they are used frequently by staff, and over three quarters (77.79%) that offer them say they have a positive impact on employee wellbeing
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Of those employees who smoke, nearly two in five (39.85%) would like to stop now or are currently trying to stop smoking
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A further 49% would like to stop smoking at some point in the future.
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More than 1 in 6 companies (16%) don’t have a written policy prohibiting smoking in work areas or on company grounds and of those companies that do have a policy
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Nearly three in five (57%) don’t have a policy that includes e-cigarettes.
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5% do not prohibit the sale of tobacco products at the worksite at onsite stores or vending machines.
According to Greg Levine, Director of Corporate and Intermediated Business at Vitality commented:
“Companies need to direct their resources more appropriately and provide health and wellness facilities that are not only most wanted by employees but have the biggest impact on their health. By addressing one of the biggest contributors to lifestyle-related chronic diseases employers can reduce the incidence of absenteeism and presenteeism which costs the UK £58 billion a year.
Providing information alone is not enough as smokers are already well aware of the risks. Our research shows that many employees have already overcome the biggest hurdle and taken the decision to want to quit smoking. This is the group that companies need to provide effective support to, through smoking cessation programmes. They then need to be communicated appropriately so they are aware of them, and implemented effectively to ensure take-up.”
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