Today, employers are so eager for their employees to quit smoking that they’re footing the bill for nicotine replacement therapies. Some are even awarding staff cash bonuses for successfully kicking the habit.
Employers say their return on investment is improved staff health and fewer sick days.
Kari Reijula, a professor at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, says that employers’ smoke-free ambitions shouldn’t force or guilt people into quitting.
“Two-thirds of smokers want to quit, but we all know it’s not easy,” says Reijula.
Hospital districts have been the first municipal employers to initiate smoke-free policies. Universities in Oulu and Kuopio have also experimented with smoking bans.
Pay Me to Quit
Today companies in Finland ranging from the Sokos hotel chain to dairy and insurance firms are making their workplaces no smoking zones.
Meanwhile, crane and forklift company Pekkaniska has adopted an incentive programme to encourage smokers to quit instead of outright banning the habit.
”An employee who’s managed to quit smoking for one year receives a 1,000 euro bonus and 170 euros annually thereafter for staying smoke-free,” says the company’s spokesperson.
The company also offers cash bonuses for workers who don't drink any alcohol as well to those who jog regularly.
