At Work, Costs Up for Those Who Light Up

If you smoke, you’re costing your employer about $6,000 more a year than your non-smoking colleagues.


Researchers recently released a study revealing that more time off, smoking breaks, and increased healthcare costs add up over the course of a year to nearly $6,000.


According to the study, low productivity due to more missed days at work costs employers an average of $517 per year per smoking employee. Low productivity at work due to smoking-related health problems costs $462 per year per smoking employee. Smoking breaks cost $3,077 a year per smoking employee. And extra healthcare expenses cost $2,056 a year per smoking employee.


Annual pension costs were an average of $296 less for smoking employees—because smokers are more likely to die younger than non-smokers.


In the United States, it’s estimated about 19 percent of adults smoke, including 21.6 percent of men and 16.5 percent of women. That’s about 43 million people—and at $6,000 extra per person, costs for U.S. employers add up fast.



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