
If employees are using vaping as a way to cut down on cigarette smoking, will forcing them to go outside with other “smokers” undermine these efforts?.If you have a closed in office environment, will the smoke produced create an unpleasant environment for other workers?.Organisations may decide to support vaping as growing numbers of people use it as part of a plan to stop or reduce smoking, but your decision will largely be based on the kind of industry and workplace you operate and some things to think about may be: Vaping at Work – Can Employees Stay at Their Desks?Į-cigarettes fall outside the scope of existing smoke-free legislation, so it is down to employers to set the rules regarding vaping at work. Whatever your views, it is estimated that around 2.8 million adults are now vaping in the UK and employers should consider including their position on whether they allow vaping on their premises in their HR policy. Whilst some believe that vaping should be encouraged as a healthier alternative to smoking, others see it as a habit that should be discouraged as it normalises smoking. Whilst not entirely risk-free, vaping is considered to be around 95% safer than normal smoking – so should vaping at work be allowed? However, whilst the smoking ban is quite straightforward, the relatively new concept of e-cigarettes, or ‘vaping’, is still causing confusion with employers.Įlectronic cigarettes deliver nicotine by heating and vaporising a solution containing nicotine, but as nothing is burned during the process there is no harmful by-product such as tar or carbon monoxide. It’s been 10 years since the introduction of the ban on smoking in public places and indoor work places in the UK, and now the thought of someone ‘lighting up’ in a smoking room in your office building seems quite strange.
