Smoking Policy

A smoking policy or more correctly a no smoking policy is one of those topics that can stir passions on both sides of the issue. There are laws in place in many locations and it is likely that these laws will continue to tip in favor of more restrictive conditions for the smokers. The American Lung Association (http://slati.lungusa.org/states.asp) has a website that lists the current laws by state.

It is best to establish a policy you can disclose when hiring employs rather than after a smoker is hired then finds out they need to smoke outside the building or a non smoker finds themselves working next to a smoker.

Decide if you allow smoking in the workplace. If you want to allow it only in a designated area define the area precisely.  Will you allow employees to smoke in their cars if on company property or do they need to leave the area. Setting up a designating smoking area does not give the employee permission to take extra breaks that setting up the area may imply so state if it is you policy that smoking breaks are to be taken only during designated break times if that is your policy.

You can state if you have a policy restricting or even forbidding smoking in the workplace when hiring but you cannot ask a potential employee if they smoke.

Original Content copyright 2010 Thomas Robinson