The real cost of having employees who smoke

Many people will tell you that it is expensive to have employees who smoke and that you should do something about it.There are many things that can be done, but most business owners simply don't know where to start.Understanding the true cost of having employees who smoke can really provide some perspective and make planning to help them quit a more viable plan.

Research shows that most businesses really just don't understand how important it is to help employees stop smoking.They also don't realize how much it really costs them when they have smokers in the business.Sometimes employers look at smoking as a personal decision and nothing more, but the reality is that smoking can greatly affect the productivity of the business and helping employees to quit can really be a benefit for the company.It is a business decision and action and not only personal.It's also true that many employers just underestimate how many smokers they have in their workforce and what kind of impact this makes on the company as a whole.The costs are very real and many research studies have shown what the true costs can be for each employee who smokes.Employers also underestimate how many of their employees who smoke would like to quit and would be able to do so better if they had someone to help them along the way.

Many various research projects have determined how much a smoker really costs a business and what factors decrease this cost over time.Estimates say that the cost of the average smoker costs a business between $800 and $3400 each year in lost time, reduced effectiveness and other problems associated with smoking.Some studies even put the cost per smoker in the US as high as $4600 per year.Employers have their mouths gape open when they see these figures and even further when they realize that they probably have many more smokers in the company than they realize.What could be done with all of the money that is lost to smoking each year?Most businesses just don't want to consider the reality of it or do anything to solve the problem and this is why they continue to have to deal with the same losses each and every year.

These figures listed above are the costs that have been deduced using research, but they may still fall below the actual figures when all the direct and indirect costs are accounted for.Some of the direct costs that are associated with smoking are illness.Smokers are more likely to become ill and miss work for a longer period of time.They also take smoke breaks throughout the day that can really add up and cost the company several hours of work each week.Having smokers as employees can also increase the cost of medical insurance coverage over which increases the cost for everyone in the company.

There are also indirect costs that many employers don't consider in regards to having employees who smoke.The views and opinions of customers are shaped by employees and this can affect the way they behave when they are around employees who smoke.There is also a negative impact on other workers in the office.Having smoking in or around the building can create a fire hazard which could really cause disastrous expenses and liability.This doesn't mean that having employees that smoke will set the office on fire, but it is more likely than when no one in the office smokes.It can also influence the company image, which can be a factor both inside and outside the company.Terrible as it may be, it can even cause the loss of employees through major health concerns, illness or even death.