Next month sees the start of plain packaging laws for all tobacco products
sold in Australia. From December all tobacco must be sold in olive green plain
packets featuring no commercial logos. Australia is the world’s first to try
this approach to stamping out smoking; but we wonder how much further this fight
can go and whether the workplace will now become the new frontier?
Even though Australia’s public health insurance program does not discriminate
against smokers there is increasing appetite for this to change. The annual
Private Health Insurance Report conducted by CoreData suggests that most
Australians think those who lead unhealthy lifestyles should pay more for
private health insurance; their survey of 1213 people reported 73% agreeing on
higher premiums for smokers.
So, should Australian employers follow suit? Whilst we are at the forefront when it comes to tobacco packaging, further advances in policies and attitude are occurring overseas.
In the US, some employers have already taken initiative in the face of rising health insurance premiums; ProMedica, owning several hospitals in Michigan and Ohio, only hire employees who pass a pre-employment nicotine screen. This policy was implemented back in January 2011 and is still going strong. There is, however, a clear financial incentive because US employers typically cover the cost of employee health insurance. Other US organisations have also implemented smoking cessation programs followed by zero tolerance, demanding increased health standards from employees and even random drug and nicotine screenings.
Only 29 US states have legislation in place to protect employees’ use of tobacco from becoming a condition of employment, but for many employers, it remains a grey area. Whilst it is not a requirement to permit smoking breaks on or off the work premises, prohibition can be a gateway to intrusion of privacy and even discrimination.
So, should Australian employers follow suit? Whilst we are at the forefront when it comes to tobacco packaging, further advances in policies and attitude are occurring overseas.
In the US, some employers have already taken initiative in the face of rising health insurance premiums; ProMedica, owning several hospitals in Michigan and Ohio, only hire employees who pass a pre-employment nicotine screen. This policy was implemented back in January 2011 and is still going strong. There is, however, a clear financial incentive because US employers typically cover the cost of employee health insurance. Other US organisations have also implemented smoking cessation programs followed by zero tolerance, demanding increased health standards from employees and even random drug and nicotine screenings.
Only 29 US states have legislation in place to protect employees’ use of tobacco from becoming a condition of employment, but for many employers, it remains a grey area. Whilst it is not a requirement to permit smoking breaks on or off the work premises, prohibition can be a gateway to intrusion of privacy and even discrimination.
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