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Establishing Workplace Policies
Establishing a workplace policy to restrict tobacco use is not only good for the health of employees; it may also be cost-saving. Before choosing and establishing a workplace policy, there are many considerations:
- What is the intended goal of the tobacco-free policy?
- Do you want a workplace that is 100% smoke-free indoors?
- Do you want a workplace that is 100% smoke-free both indoors and outdoors?
- Do you want a workplace that is 100% tobacco-free (all types of smoking and smokeless tobacco prohibited)?
- Will the new workplace policy be introduced concurrently or after tobacco cessation benefits are established?
To make a smooth transition to the new workplace policy, it is best if employees who use tobacco have tobacco cessation benefits available to them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that an employer take 6 months to 1 year to plan for and fully institute the new policy and benefit coverage.
Written workplace policies should address the following questions:4
- Who – To whom does the policy apply?
- What – What is the purpose of the policy?
- When – When will the policy take effect?
- Where – Where does the policy apply?
- How – How will the policy be enforced and what are the consequences for violations?
Please click here for an example of a Business Group member's workplace tobacco policy.
To learn more about how companies decided to go tobacco-free and how they rolled out their new policies, visit the Employer Case Studies section of this website.
Additionally, the following links provide guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to aid in the establishment of a workplace policy.
CDC Tobacco-Free Campus Policy
Planning a Tobacco-Free Campus Initiative
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