Benefits of offering employees smoking cessation classes

Companies around the country are joining the growing trend of creating smoke free work environments.This growing trend stems from a couple of different factors.One of the main reasons that employers are encouraging their employees to quit smoking is the benefits to both the employee and the employer.In order to help their employees become smoke free, employers have begun offering smoking cessation classes.Here are a few of the benefits that stem from offering these classes.

Save Employee Money

When companies offer their employees free smoking cessation classes, they save their employees money.Companies will save their employees money in more ways than one.First, the employee will not have to use their own funds to join a program to help them quit.Second, once the employee has quit, their health insurance costs will begin to go down.Employees will also spend less time at the doctor and therefore more time at work.It is much more likely that smoking cessation classes will be utilized if the employee does not need to pay for them.This leads to the next benefit of offering employees smoking cessation classes.

Save the Company Money

By helping employees quit smoking through offering free smoking cessation classes, employers will be taking the steps necessary to saving money.Many health insurance companies offer discounts to companies that enforce a no-smoking policy.Helping employees quit smoking will bring companies one step closer to receiving those benefits.

Also, businesses that allow smoking in their buildings end up paying more in cleaning and repairing costs.The toll that second hand smoke has on carpets, walls, desks, chairs, and even ceilings causes cleaners and repairmen to take extra time and use extra resources to maintain the property.Eventually, if the company wishes to sell the property, it is likely that they will not be able to sell it for as high a price as they would if they had enforced a no-smoking policy.

Encourage Employees

Many employers know that if they require their employees to quit smoking on their own time and own dime it is likely that it won't happen.Employers have a wide variety of smoking cessation classes to choose from to help their employees.Many of them can be done through the computer at their desk.These programs do not take a lot of time, but have proven to be effective.While employees would only need to take a few minutes to do these programs at home, employers know that it is more likely it will be done while employees sit at their desk at work.

Group Support

Sometimes employees have a hard time quitting because their coworkers around them are smoking.When companies offer smoking cessation classes at work, employees have an instant support group to help them quit.This support group will help build unity among employees and encourage everyone in the office to put away their cigarettes.Offering these classes will also show employees that the company supports their efforts to quit.

Quitting smoking can be an extremely challenging feat.Many people have tried and failed.Companies stand to benefit in many ways by helping their employees to quit smoking.By offering smoking cessation classes at work, companies will stand to save their employees money, save the company money, encourage employees to succeed, and provide an in-house support group to help.