Smoking policy template

Overview

This policy strictly prohibits smoking in all enclosed and partially enclosed areas of the workplace, including company vehicles, to protect employees from secondhand smoke, promote a healthy work environment, ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations, and designates specific smoking areas away from main entrances and ventilation systems, while offering support programs to assist employees who wish to quit smoking.

Scope

All employees of [Company name].

General Principles

It is the Companys policy that all of its workplaces are smoke-free and that all employees have a right to work in a smoke-free environment and not be exposed to second-hand smoke. This is also a statutory requirement. As such, the Companys business premises are no smoking premises and smoking is prohibited in all areas of the workplace at all times with no exceptions. This includes company cars and other company vehicles. The Company is committed to protecting the health and safety of all of its employees.

The Company's policy on smoking applies not only to employees but also to visitors to the workplace, including clients, customers, contractors, agency workers and suppliers.

In addition, the Company wishes to portray a professional business image to its clients, customers and suppliers when they visit the Companys business premises. Therefore, employees are not allowed to smoke immediately outside the entrances to its business premises. [However, smoking is permitted outside [set out details of external area where smoking is allowed]].

[Appropriate 'No Smoking' signs are clearly displayed at the entrances to and within the workplace.]

Smoking Breaks

[If you wish to smoke, you must do this in your own time either outside your normal hours of work or during your lunch break. You are not permitted to take additional smoking breaks during the day.]

[At the Companys absolute discretion, employees are permitted to take [one|two] smoking break[s] of [five|ten] minutes each during the working day[, one during the morning and one during the afternoon]. Where a smoking break is taken during the working day, the employee is required to deduct an equivalent amount of time from their designated lunch break. The Company reserves the right to withdraw the privilege of smoking breaks at any time and from time to time.]

Implementation

[Name(s)] [is/are] responsible for the implementation of this policy and for ensuring compliance with it. All employees are required to adhere to the terms of this policy at all times.

Anyone who wishes to report an incident of smoking in the workplace should speak to [Name(s)].

Breaches

Employees who are found to be smoking in the workplace in contravention of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Companys disciplinary procedure. A breach of this policy will be treated as a serious disciplinary offence, particularly where either the employee refuses to comply with the instruction to immediately refrain from smoking or they are a repeat offender.

Where smoking constitutes a health and safety hazard, such behaviour will be treated as gross misconduct and could render the employee liable to summary dismissal.

If a client, customer, contractor, agency worker or supplier does not comply with this policy, they will be warned that they are committing an offence, requested to immediately refrain from smoking and, if they refuse, they will be asked to leave, or will be ejected from, the premises.

Those who do not comply with the smoking ban are also liable to a fixed penalty fine and possible criminal prosecution and they expose the Company to similar action.

Support

Support for smokers who want to stop smoking can be obtained from the NHS Stop Smoking Service on [0800 169 0169 (England)] [0800 848484 (Scotland)] [0800 085 2219 (Wales)] [0800 858585 (Northern Ireland)] or at www.givingupsmoking.co.uk or from your local GPs surgery.