smokeout
roep
12 Posts
Just looking to see what other companies are doing for the great american smokeout. Are you addressing this at all, and if so, how? Some ideas are needed. Thanks!
Comments
I'm not familiar with what this is. Is this going to be like a walk-out for smokers??
With all the anti-smoking laws that are coming into vogue I thought the smokers had finally had enough. Silly me.
Four of our eight office staff are smokers. We had a meeting just this week - one topic was about the frequency and length of "butt breaks". They've definitely cut down on the number of breaks and have avoided all going out at the same time.
To answer the question about the Smokeout: we hadn't planned on doing anything. I forgot it existed. Might be time to do something!
By the way, a friend once told me I tend to "ramble on". I realize this again every time I begin telling stories on the Forum! xI-)
I assume that your one smoker is interested in trying to quit, at least for that day?? Maybe 15 or so years ago, when we had many smokers, a non-smoker would "adopt" a smoker for the day. The non-smoker would provide moral support by being there for breaks and lunches, provide straws to chew on, healthy snack foods to nibble on. There was also alot of literature and videos, if the smoker wished to partake. We have only a handful of smokers these days, and no one does anything anymore.
Elizabeth
That's the attitude I like to see! When someone is ready to quit smoking they'll do it! You don't need to have a day called "the great american smokeout" to do it. Most people don't quit when their doctor tells them to - why would they do it on this day?
When your employer makes a big deal out of it (as we have in the past) the employees won't smoke in the office but can't wait to go to lunch and smoke up. If you do smoke on the "smokeout day" you are made to feel like a leper. I say employers should leave it up to the smokers and find something better to do.
Since we don't just target that day, but have health-related contests all year (currently everyone is wearing a pedometer daily and competing for most steps walked - 75% participation in a plant of 300 employees), I believe it is no big deal to have a day to target smoking.
We all have lifestyle changes to make - even if it is to learn to relax or drink more water or whatever. Since we target all subjects, I don't think the tobacco users are offended. And, participation is voluntary but pays off in nice prizes.
No - They wear the pedometer all of their waking hours. We say that "Every step counts." We are encouraging folks to set a goal and increase the number of steps they take each day. (Yes, I know this could be counterproductive at work - we don't want or need wasted motion - but it gets people aware of how much they already walk in a normal work day and then hopefully adding to that.)
Since I have primarily a "sit-down" office job, I have to get my steps elsewhere. But I log almost 5 miles walked on Saturdays just from normal stuff like housework and outside work on our farm.
I am normally a positive person, really! Just suspicious I guess. Didn't want to rain on your parade - it's a creative idea. I've just had plenty of experience with employees who fudge participation in contests so they can win something.
That said, bombarding people with all of this great information does sink in, it's all inside waiting for the person to take control and make it happen for them.
This message brought to you by .... I am still waiting for a sponsor.
I am intrigued by your sentence stating that you "give them a little something in their paycheck" for being smoke free. Please explain.
The program will evolve next year to allow a second option, which will recognize people (again through payroll incentives) for maintaining healthy blood pressure, low cholesterol levels, etc. A third option will reimburse 1/2 of a gym membership up to $15.
Staff can choose any one of the three options for the coming calendar year and get paid to get healthy and maintain good health. Still tinkering with the 2nd and 3rd options.
And lastly, we have a wellness committee that puts on the monthly staff lunch and offers all healthy type foods. Not anything overboard, and mostly all homemade. We stay away from pizza, chips, and various white death foods (white flour and sugar). One of our staff does a 15 minute cooking presentation, called Dining with Dale that is quite popular. Her nutrition knowledge is incredible, but she is a little over the top for most of us.
My overall budget is $300 per year per staff person.