Employees who smoke cost their employers an average of $4,256 each in 2012, according to a Conference Board of Canada report released October 29.
The majority of this cost – an estimated $3,800 per smoker – was related to lost productivity due to unsanctioned smoking breaks. The remainder of the total cost is due to absenteeism, with smokers taking almost two-and-a-half more sick days per year than non-smokers.
The cost per employee has increased by more than 25% since 2005, the last time the board estimated the cost of smoking.
The report said employers should do more to fight the "smoking culture" in the workplace.
"Canadian businesses should have a strong financial incentive to help smokers quit, especially in industries like construction, mining and transportation that employ predominantly male blue-collar workers," said report co-author Fares Bounajm, senior research associate, Canadian Alliance for Sustainable Health Care.
"The prevalence of smoking is much higher than average in these industries, and employers are less likely to offer effective cessation programs, benefits, policies or practices."
Other findings in the report include:
- three-quarters of smokers are working, and most want to quit;
- the percentage of daily smokers in a typical company is estimated by fall by 35% by 2025 if a workplace cessation program is introduced; and
- the total economic cost of smoking borne by businesses and society was estimated at $11.4 billion.
The report can be found here.
