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 M ethodology 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 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

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

Smokefree Workplaces by Industry Type 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 ReasonsNumberPercent Health Concerns % Cleanliness % Fire or Safety Reasons % Employee Preference % Owner sets policy7019.9% Increase work productivity6719.1% Customer demand5014.2% Reduce risk of legal action3710.6% Reduce health insurance or other insurance costs318.9% Regulatory of licensing reasons236.6% Collective bargaining unit61.8% Other reasons3510.0% Smoking is not restricted at all20.6% Respondents were asked to check ALL reasons; percentages, therefore, total to more than 100%.

Reasons that Employers Restrict Smoking by Workforce Size 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 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 or

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) employees; 3) 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.