Our workplace is looking at going ‘smoke free’. What are some considerations and some support information that may assist us in this process?
Our workplace is looking at going ‘smoke free’. What are some considerations and some support information that may assist us in this process?
– OHS manager in retail, Brisbane
Huddled outside the office building, in a small sheltered doorway, shivering from the cold as they puff on a cigarette as if almost their life depends on it, is a dying breed – the office smoker. Evicted from public view, the office smoker must now rely on specifically allocated areas to pursue their habit away from fellow colleagues. The fact is more and more workplaces are going ‘smoke free’. Research has found, for example, that restrictions on smoking in Victorian workplaces have increased from 17 per cent of workers having total indoor bans in 1998 to 71 per cent working in smoke free indoor environments in 1999.
Other than the obvious health reasoning behind going smoke free at work, there are positive economic implications. Cost savings including cleaning, ventilation and reduced fire risk. Additionally, reducing the number of breaks taken outside of designated times can positively effect productivity, influencing the bottom line. The Cancer Council’s QUIT ‘Going Smoke Free’ workplace guide lists benefits such as healthier staff and raised awareness of the health risks of smoking, reduced risk in litigation from employees and visitors, a progressive healthy corporate image for the workplace and reduced absenteeism from smoking and passive smoking caused illnesses.
There is also an obligation for employers to provide a safe working environment which does not jeopardise the health of its employees. This exposes employers to common law negligence action if found to have contributed to serious injury (including disease) as a result of an unsafe workplace. A former non smoking barmaid sued a RSL and hotel after contracting throat and neck cancer caused by years of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke during the course of her employment. She was awarded $466,000 in damages by NSW Supreme Court jury. This has caused the government to react with the introduction of smoke free legislation. In Victoria, as of July 2001, smoking was banned within enclosed areas of restaurants and cafes. As of November 2001, smoking was banned in shopping centres.
Workplaces are encouraged to introduce smoke free policies that are documented and communicated effectively to maximise their impact. QUIT has a workplace program providing all the information you need to make your working environment smoke free. Contact QUIT on 9663 7777 or visit www.quit.org.au for more information.
Chris Rabba, managing director – Peak Health Management. Tel: 1300 360 107
Desperately seeking diversity
We want to recruit a more diverse range of candidates, but our recruitment provider is not changing their procedures to meet our requirements. What specific actions can we request they undertake to recruit more diverse candidates?
- Recruitment manager in IT, Sydney
To begin with, when selecting a recruitment provider, you should require tenderers to provide you with evidence of their diversity competency and ask them what they will do to assist you with meeting your diversity objectives through measurable deliverables. Over the past few years, a number of major companies have ceased working with specific recruitment providers who failed to meet diversity targets. This kind of action is sometimes necessary to show that you are serious about diversity.
One good rule of thumb when identifying recruitment targets is that the percentages of diverse candidates referred for the position should reflect the percentage that group represents in the overall population. For example, since approximately 20 per cent of the population has a disability, it would be appropriate to expect that between 15–20 per cent of the candidates referred to you would have a disability.
While this number is variable, because some candidates with a disability may not disclose their disability, we have generally found that people with a disability and Indigenous Australians are generally happy to voluntarily identify themselves if they believe that a company is being proactive in their recruitment. For this reason, it’s a good idea to request that your recruiters provide you with statistics after each recruitment exercise as to the percentages they referred from each of the groups that you nominate.
Be sure that your recruitment company provides their staff with adequate diversity awareness training. Your company is jointly liable with the recruitment provider if their practices prove to be discriminatory. So, choose providers carefully and hold them accountable when it comes to meeting your diversity objectives.
Jock Noble, CEO of Diversity@work Australia. Tel: 03 9608 0900
