Transcript Document

Examining Workplace Policies and
Practices: Opportunities for Intervention
Kristin Olsen Minot, M.S., Philadelphia Health Management Corp.
Howard “Chip” Baker, LSW,CAC,CEAP and Jim Wall, MS;
Bucks County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
This project is supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health
Background
Tobacco Free Worksite/ Workforce Initiative
Component of Bucks County Tobacco Control Project
located in Southeastern Region of Pennsylvania
Part of statewide comprehensive tobacco use prevention
and cessation program consistent with CDC Best Practices
Funds from PA Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement
Goal of Worksite Initiative
Increase the number of tobacco free
worksites and workforces in Bucks
County
Purpose of the Survey
The Survey was Designed to:
– Assess the current state of worksite smoking
policies and practices as a baseline measure for
initiative;
– Introduce the Tobacco-Free Worksite Initiative to
business and industry in the county; and
– Provide employers with an easy way to contact
the program for information and assistance
–
Survey Methodology
Survey was conducted by Philadelphia Health Management
Corporation (PHMC) which is the local evaluator for the
Bucks County Tobacco Control Project (BCTCP)
Mail survey of a random sample (n =2000) of Bucks County
businesses in June 2003.
Response rate 20% (n=394)
Survey topics and questions based on a review of the
literature.
Many questions taken or modified, with permission, from
previously tested and administered worksite smoking
surveys
Methodology
The sample was stratified into five strata based on
workforce size: a random sample was selected from each
stratum. Worksites with 20 or more employees were
oversampled to assure an adequate sample for analysis.
Worksites with fewer than five employees were excluded as
were restaurants and bars
Initial surveys were followed by a follow-up postcard three
weeks later.
Cover letter and survey mailed to a random sample of 500
businesses that had not yet returned a completed survey.
.
Description of the Sample
Workforce Size
Industry Type
Sales
32.3%
20-99
18.3%
100-499
3.8%
5-19
77.2%
Service
44.3%
500+
0.7%
Not
Known
1.9%
Production
21.5%
Do Employers have Policies about
Smoking?
The majority of businesses in Bucks County have
an official smoking policy
About one out of ten businesses has no policy
regarding smoking
Large and mid-sized businesses are more likely to
have an official policy compared to small
businesses (< 20 employees)
Two out of three businesses are smoke-free
Type of Smoking Policy by Workforce Size
100%
80%
55.1
49.5
69.7
60%
91.2
40%
33.2
37
20%
0%
24.2
11.7
13.6
All Businesses Small (5-19)
6.1
Mid-Sized
(20-99)
5.9
2.9
Large (100+)
Official Policy
Unofficial Policy
No Policy
Smokefree Workplaces by Industry Type
90
80
70
71.3
67.3
76.2
Percent
60
50
43.9
40
30
20
10
0
Total
Production
Sales
Service
A smokefree workplace is one in which smoking is prohibited in all indoor areas (public, work, or non-work)
or in company vehicles.
Why do Employers Restrict Smoking?
Most Common Reasons
Health Concerns
Cleanliness
Fire or Safety Reasons
Employee Preference
Least Common Reasons
Reduce Risk of Legal
Action
Reduce health insurance
and other insurance costs
Regulatory or licensing
reasons
Collective Bargaining Unit
Reasons that Employers Restrict Smoking
Reasons
Number
Percent
Health Concerns
264
75.6%
Cleanliness
258
73.8%
Fire or Safety Reasons
188
53.9%
Employee Preference
173
50.5%
Owner sets policy
70
19.9%
Increase work productivity
67
19.1%
Customer demand
50
14.2%
Reduce risk of legal action
37
10.6%
Reduce health insurance or other insurance costs
31
8.9%
Regulatory of licensing reasons
23
6.6%
Collective bargaining unit
6
1.8%
Other reasons
35
10.0%
Smoking is not restricted at all
2
0.6%
Respondents were asked to check ALL reasons; percentages, therefore, total to more than 100%.
Reasons that Employers Restrict Smoking
by Workforce Size
80
70
76
76
73
76
66 67
62 61
60
Percent
Small (5-19)
Mid-Sized (20-99)
Large (100+)
52
50
40
30
20
14 14
7
10
14
6
7
0
Cleanliness
Health Concerns
Fire/Safety
Insurance/Health
Costs
Licensing/Regulatory
Respondents were asked to check ALL reasons; percentages, therefore, total to more than 100%.
Do Employers Help Their Employees to
Quit Smoking?
The majority of employers have not taken steps to
encourage their employees to quit smoking:
Fewer than one out of seven employers (13.1%) provide
health insurance which includes coverage for smoking
cessation
Only 7.0% of employers have distributed smoking cessation
materials
Fewer than 5% of employers have sponsored a smoking
cessation program within the company or
Allowed their employees to attend a program during working
hours
Employers’ Efforts to Encourage Employee
Smoking Cessation by Workforce Size
40
36.8
35
Percent
30
25
23.5
20.6
20
15
10
10
5.3
5
11.8
9.6
3.2
Small (5-19)
Mid-Sized (20-99)
Large (100+)
5.9
0
Insurance w/
Cessation
Distribute Materials
In-Company
Programs
Respondents were asked to check ALL efforts to encourage their employees to stop smoking;
percentages, therefore, total to more than 100%.
Recommendations
Work with businesses to further restrict indoor smoking,
limit outdoor smoking and smoking in company vehicles.
Educate employers about productivity,health and legal
consequences of allowing smoking in the workplace.
Help employers in providing their employees with
information about the dangers of tobacco use and resources
to stop smoking.
Tailor all worksite-related activities to meet the expressed
needs of business.
Next Steps
Initiative developed worksite partners from survey respondents,
Chambers of Commerce, Professional Organizations
Established 3-Tier system to recognize and award companies for
advancing tobacco free worksites and workforces
Used partners’ own circle of influence to expand program reach
Provided training and motivational presentations to employers re
internal and external factors related to creating and maintaining
tobacco free worksites/workforces
Plan to expand tobacco free living options coaching through
small group presentations onsite at area workplaces
Lessons Learned
Don’t try to tell employers what to do
Employers participate when they see that their
interests are being achieved
Company leadership needs information and
direction on ways to restrict/prohibit smoking
Employees who are contemplating or planning to
quit need coaching on options for quitting
A successful tobacco free worksite initiative takes
planning, effort and TIME
For Additional Information
For additional information about the Bucks County
Worksite Tobacco Survey or the Tobacco Free
Worksite Initiative, contact :
Kristin Minot, M.S.
Philadelphia Health Management Corporation
215-985-2519 or [email protected]
Notes on Methodology
Many questions on the survey were taken or modified, with
permission from previous surveys developed and administered
by The Clearwater Research Group, The University of Wisconsin
and the University of Arizona
The sample was stratified into five strata based on workforce
size: businesses with: 1) 5-19 employees; 2) 20-99 employees;
3) 100-499 employees; 4) 500+ employees; and 5) unknown.A
weight was applied to the data to adjust for the oversampling of
larger businesses.
The three categories of business/industry type (production,
service, sales) were based on Standard Industrial Classification
(SIC) Codes.
Notes
Restaurants and bars were surveyed separately through a
special tobacco smoke pollution initiative of the Bucks County
Tobacco Control project.
Worksites with fewer than five employees were not included in
the sample, as most of the questions regarding policy issues
were inappropriate for these businesses
The initial survey was mailed in June 2003, a follow-up postcard
was sent three weeks later. Three weeks following this, the cover
letter and survey were mailed a second time to a random sample
of 500 businesses that had not yet returned a completed survey.