Most limit activity to designated outdoor areas: survey
Almost half (44 per cent) of Canadian employers have a formal policy regarding vaping at work, according to a survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP).
But the policies vary across the country:
- Smoking is limited to specific designated outdoor areas (54 per cent).
- Smoking is permitted outside of the building (23 per cent).
- Smoking is prohibited on entire campus (including parking and outdoor areas) (16 per cent).
- Smoking policies vary by worksite (four per cent).
- Smoking is not prohibited anywhere (three per cent).
“We’re noticing that newly established vaping policies generally align with current smoking policies,” says Julie Stich, vice-president of content at the IFEBP. “If a workplace doesn’t fall under the federal or a provincial law, it’s up to the employer to decide whether to ban vaping at work, taking into consideration how e-cigarette use fits into the company’s culture and goals.”
The evolving investigation into the outbreak of lung injuries due to vaping is also causing employers to look at this issue from a safety and well-being perspective, she says.
Over half (60 per cent) of the 96 organizations surveyed in Canada offer tobacco or smoking-cessation programs to workers. Of those that track the effectiveness of the program, 68 per cent rate the program as very or somewhat effective.
Six per cent of organizations plan to add tobacco or smoking-cessation wellness offerings within the next two years.
