98 per cent of professionals favour some form of restriction
The majority of employees in the Middle East want smoking banned in the workplace, according to a recent study.
The study by GulfTalent.com, a Middle East online recruitment website, found 98 per cent of professionals favour some form of smoking restriction at work.
Just over one-half (54 per cent) of respondents said they want a complete smoking ban inside office premises while 44 per cent said the workplace should be mostly smoke free with smoking only allowed in designated areas. Only two per cent of respondents said they opposed any kind of smoking restriction.
As part of the study, GulfTalent.com interviewed several HR managers and surveyed 5,000 professionals in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.
The study found 55 per cent of companies have a complete ban on indoor smoking and 36 per cent have designated smoking areas. However, 10 per cent of companies have no smoking restrictions in place and many that do have official bans fail to enforce them. Some HR managers reported they would like to see their governments introduce stronger anti-smoking legislation as a means to get staff to comply with workplace bans.
The prevalence of bans varies by country, with Oman leading the anti-smoking drive with 65 per cent of companies having a complete ban and Kuwait being the most smoker-friendly with only 42 per cent of companies having a complete ban.
While 75 per cent of non-smokers who took part in the survey said that second-hand smoke bothered them, by and large Middle East countries are still among the most smoker-friendly.
Public bans on smoking are limited and only loosely enforced and there's little tax on tobacco — an international brand of cigarettes costs just $1.70 US in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, compared to $4.50 US in the United States and $11.50 US in the United Kingdom.
The study by GulfTalent.com, a Middle East online recruitment website, found 98 per cent of professionals favour some form of smoking restriction at work.
Just over one-half (54 per cent) of respondents said they want a complete smoking ban inside office premises while 44 per cent said the workplace should be mostly smoke free with smoking only allowed in designated areas. Only two per cent of respondents said they opposed any kind of smoking restriction.
As part of the study, GulfTalent.com interviewed several HR managers and surveyed 5,000 professionals in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.
The study found 55 per cent of companies have a complete ban on indoor smoking and 36 per cent have designated smoking areas. However, 10 per cent of companies have no smoking restrictions in place and many that do have official bans fail to enforce them. Some HR managers reported they would like to see their governments introduce stronger anti-smoking legislation as a means to get staff to comply with workplace bans.
The prevalence of bans varies by country, with Oman leading the anti-smoking drive with 65 per cent of companies having a complete ban and Kuwait being the most smoker-friendly with only 42 per cent of companies having a complete ban.
While 75 per cent of non-smokers who took part in the survey said that second-hand smoke bothered them, by and large Middle East countries are still among the most smoker-friendly.
Public bans on smoking are limited and only loosely enforced and there's little tax on tobacco — an international brand of cigarettes costs just $1.70 US in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, compared to $4.50 US in the United States and $11.50 US in the United Kingdom.
