But a consumer group hits back saying coffee breaks, personal phone calls and social media also distract employees from work.
Smokers cost their employers the equivalent of around £4,000 more each year compared to non-smokers, according to new research.
The study, published today in the Tobacco Control journal, found that several factors linked to the habit including absenteeism and smoking breaks resulted in greater costs to businesses.
For the research, a team in the United States approximated the total costs for employers when examining these factors.
Their calculations showed that low productivity due to excess absenteeism costs employers the equivalent £344 a year per smoker, presenteeism (lower productivity while working because of nicotine addiction) costs £307 and smoking breaks cost £2,045.
Other factors, including increased annual pension costs were added, with the total additional cost to the employer estimated at £3,865 per year.
The researchers concluded: “Employees who smoke impose significant excess costs on private employers. The results of this study may help inform employer decisions about tobacco-related policies.
“It is important to remember that the costs imposed by tobacco use are not simply financial costs. It is not possible to put a price on the lost lives and the human suffering caused by smoking. The desire to help one’s employees lead healthier and longer lives should provide an additional impetus for employers to work towards eliminating tobacco from the workplace.”
The findings follow previous studies which have found that smoking by employees costs businesses money because of lost productivity and medical expenditures.
The study comes just weeks after the Welsh Government’s attempts to cut smoking rates were called into question by health campaigners after new figures showed just a 1% drop since the 2007 smoking ban.
Welsh Health Survey figures found nearly a quarter (23%) of the Welsh population still smokes – a figure that has remained static for three years, and which has only dropped by 3% in nine years.
Campaigners said that the findings of the study provided a strong argument for companies to encourage their employees to stop smoking, which they claimed would also help to lower the smoking rate in Wales.
Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) in Wales, Elen de Lacy said: “These figures are not surprising and should be a wake-up call to anyone who doubts the impact that smoking has not only on health but the economy as well.
“Putting in place no-smoking policies and providing support to help staff members quit would not only improve the health of employees, but also provide an economic benefit for businesses.
“We know that 23% of adults currently smoke in Wales and we urgently need to ensure quit smoking services in the community are accessible to all and offer a broad range of services if we are to have any chance of meeting the Welsh Government’s aim of reducing this to 16% by 2020.”
Chris Mulholland, head of British Lung Foundation Wales, said: “Smoking is the number one cause of preventable ill-health in the UK. “Policies in the workplace must not lose sight of the fact that smoking is an addiction. What we really should be seeing is improved access to, and more innovation, in providing smoking cessation services in the workplace for those who want to give up.”
But Simon Clark, director of the consumer group Forest, which lobbies for the rights of smokers, said that for many smoking should not be factor when it came to employing individuals.
He said: “This study trots out the usual estimates and calculations. Yes, smoking is a risk to people's health but so is obesity, drinking to excess and lack of exercise.
“Many smokers believe the occasional smoking break improves rather than reduces their productivity. This is just another attempt to stigmatise smokers and encourage employers to discriminate against them.
“Non-smokers take coffee breaks, make personal phone calls and use social media at work. Should those activities be targeted too?
“Smoking should not be a factor when it comes to employing people. People should be judged on their ability to do the job, not on whether they smoke.”
The study, published today in the Tobacco Control journal, found that several factors linked to the habit including absenteeism and smoking breaks resulted in greater costs to businesses.
For the research, a team in the United States approximated the total costs for employers when examining these factors.
Their calculations showed that low productivity due to excess absenteeism costs employers the equivalent £344 a year per smoker, presenteeism (lower productivity while working because of nicotine addiction) costs £307 and smoking breaks cost £2,045.
Other factors, including increased annual pension costs were added, with the total additional cost to the employer estimated at £3,865 per year.
The researchers concluded: “Employees who smoke impose significant excess costs on private employers. The results of this study may help inform employer decisions about tobacco-related policies.
“It is important to remember that the costs imposed by tobacco use are not simply financial costs. It is not possible to put a price on the lost lives and the human suffering caused by smoking. The desire to help one’s employees lead healthier and longer lives should provide an additional impetus for employers to work towards eliminating tobacco from the workplace.”
The findings follow previous studies which have found that smoking by employees costs businesses money because of lost productivity and medical expenditures.
The study comes just weeks after the Welsh Government’s attempts to cut smoking rates were called into question by health campaigners after new figures showed just a 1% drop since the 2007 smoking ban.
Welsh Health Survey figures found nearly a quarter (23%) of the Welsh population still smokes – a figure that has remained static for three years, and which has only dropped by 3% in nine years.
Campaigners said that the findings of the study provided a strong argument for companies to encourage their employees to stop smoking, which they claimed would also help to lower the smoking rate in Wales.
Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) in Wales, Elen de Lacy said: “These figures are not surprising and should be a wake-up call to anyone who doubts the impact that smoking has not only on health but the economy as well.
“Putting in place no-smoking policies and providing support to help staff members quit would not only improve the health of employees, but also provide an economic benefit for businesses.
“We know that 23% of adults currently smoke in Wales and we urgently need to ensure quit smoking services in the community are accessible to all and offer a broad range of services if we are to have any chance of meeting the Welsh Government’s aim of reducing this to 16% by 2020.”
Chris Mulholland, head of British Lung Foundation Wales, said: “Smoking is the number one cause of preventable ill-health in the UK. “Policies in the workplace must not lose sight of the fact that smoking is an addiction. What we really should be seeing is improved access to, and more innovation, in providing smoking cessation services in the workplace for those who want to give up.”
But Simon Clark, director of the consumer group Forest, which lobbies for the rights of smokers, said that for many smoking should not be factor when it came to employing individuals.
He said: “This study trots out the usual estimates and calculations. Yes, smoking is a risk to people's health but so is obesity, drinking to excess and lack of exercise.
“Many smokers believe the occasional smoking break improves rather than reduces their productivity. This is just another attempt to stigmatise smokers and encourage employers to discriminate against them.
“Non-smokers take coffee breaks, make personal phone calls and use social media at work. Should those activities be targeted too?
“Smoking should not be a factor when it comes to employing people. People should be judged on their ability to do the job, not on whether they smoke.”
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