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Smokers cost employers through lower productivity
Smokers cost employers approximately $4,400 per year in terms of lost productivity, compared with $2,600 per year for nonsmokers and $3,200 per year for former smokers, according to a study on smoking and job performance. The research, reported in the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine's Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, quantifies the on-the-job productivity for current smokers, former smokers, and nonsmokers using survey results and both absenteeism and presenteeism. The study used the Wellness Inventory, a survey tool that measures lost productivity related to 11 common health conditions, to analyze data from nearly 35,000 employees at 147 companies.
The results show that current smokers missed more days of work and were less productive at work compared with former smokers and nonsmokers. According to the authors, in addition to lost workplace productivity due to absenteeism and presenteeism, smokers drive up employers' costs through direct medical costs for smoking-related disease, lost productivity due to smoking breaks, increases in fires and fire insurance costs, increased workers compensation costs, and early retirement due to smoking-related health problems. Current smokers were half as likely to report excellent health status compared with nonsmokers.
Smokers cost employers approximately $4,400 per year in terms of lost productivity, compared with $2,600 per year for nonsmokers and $3,200 per year for former smokers, according to a study on smoking and job performance.Subscribe Now for Access
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