Member Article

North East firms encouraged to help staff quit smoking

North East firms are being urged to help support staff in their quest to quit smoking.

The London School of Economics estimates smoking costs North East businesses £70 million a year through increased absence from work from smoking related illnesses and lost productivity due to smoking breaks.

As part of a new drive to help them cut costs and help workforces in tough economic times a new initiative called Fresh is encouraging firms and organisations across the region to join the Quit Club .

They hope the initiative will create happier and healthier workforces while also reducing the number of sick days and lost productivity.

Ailsa Rutter, Director of FRESH says: “Not only does smoking cost lives but it also costs the local economy. This is one way that businesses can save money and save lives.

“Some managers assume that staff don’t want to be lectured, but this is all about helping those workers who do want to quit. Around 90% of North East smokers say they wish they had never started, and support from the boss can go a long way:”

Around 350 firms with over 50 staff will be contacted over the next few weeks with details of how they can be helped to set up their own Quit Club through enhanced links with local NHS Stop Smoking Services.

The Quit Clubs are free to businesses and run over a period of weeks by a trained stop smoking advisor.

The initiative is also backed by the North East TUC as part of the Better Health at Work Awards. Tom Ross, workplace lead for the

North East TUC, said: “There are some truly inspiring cases where employers have taken an interest in their staff and now as a result have seen a reduction in absenteeism, an increase in productivity, an increase in innovation and better relations between management and the workforce.

“ It’s about changing lives and health for the better.“

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .