Smokers in your office are costing your employer an extra $5,816 per year for each smoker compared to nonsmoking employees. That's the conclusion following an analysis of data collected from previous studies of smoking-related costs.
The research, conducted at Ohio State University, estimates that the largest cost for employers is related to work that does not get done when a smoker takes a smoke break. That cost alone is estimated to add $3,077 annually for each smoker compared to a non-smoker.
Smokers, on average, take about five smoke breaks during a typical work day. Most non-smokers, by comparison, take only three work breaks.
The NY Times blog has additional details from the study:
The second largest cost, at $2,056, was related to excess health care expenses. Smokers typically have more health problems than nonsmokers, including heart and lung disease and various cancers.
The remaining costs came from increased absenteeism — the researchers found that smokers miss about two-and-a-half extra workdays each year — and lost productivity at work, perhaps because of nicotine’s withdrawal effects. The findings appeared online in June in the journal Tobacco Control.
Support real journalism. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. See offers.
Your subscription to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism.