Employees

When new employees are hired by Human Ressources they should be asked to read and sign the employee compliance form. This form states that employees are aware of the tobacco-free campus policy and agree to abstain from using tobacco products on the hospital campus. Likewise, upon implementation of the policy, all existing employees should be asked to sign the form and return it to their supervisor. The tobacco-free campus wide policy should be considered the same as any other employment policy. For many hospitals this means that the first violation results in a verbal warning, the second violation results in a written record put in the employee’s file, and the third violation results in dismissal. Senior managers need to support and enforce the policy with employees on their unit. For more ways to increase employee compliance see Best Practice: Compliance and Best Practice: Benefits.

• Clock-out Policy – Several hospitals have found that ensuring compliance is easier when employees are allowed to use tobacco products only on unpaid time such as meals and unpaid break time. If employees need to leave the campus for a purpose that is not work-related, they should either clock out or receive permission from their supervisor. This will help ensure that frequent and prolonged tobacco breaks do not occur.
  
  
• Lower Monthly Health Insurance Rates for Non-Tobacco Users – In some hospitals, employees who do not use tobacco products pay a lower health insurance premium than employees who are tobacco users. Employees at Moses Cone Health Care System can sign an affidavit stating that they and their covered family members do not use tobacco. Those who sign the affadavit pay $20 less per bi-weekly pay period.
  
  
• Corporate Culture – All employees should be encouraged and rewarded for helping to ensure compliance with the tobacco-free campus wide policy. There are several ways staff can assist the hospital in achieving this goal. On campus they can agree to help by approaching violators and informing them of the policy and available resources, or serving on a committee to assist with the regular communication of the policy. They can also help by agreeing to pick up cigarette butts on campus. Off campus, employees can inform community groups of the hospital policy and encourage community support from youth, church, restaurant and business groups.
  
  
• Incentives – Some hospitals offer financial awards, as much as $100, to tobacco users who successfully quit. In some cases it is an individual award, and in other cases the names of all quitters are pooled together. At Carolinas Medical Center-Union, one name is drawn and given as much as a $500 gift certificate. Likewise, the names of employees who assist with compliance and communication of the policy should be submitted for a monthly drawing for prizes such as a dinner for two at a local restaurant. Maintain all names and each year a more significant prize, such as a weekend getaway should be offered. Other hospitals, such as Chowan and Scotland, have organized celebratory events to honor all those who have successfully quit. Click here to see more pictures of Chowan's event.
  
  
• Enforcement
– 5 months after policy enactment, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center chose to create tobacco-free campus wide notifications for those employees not complying with the policy. This meant increasing the number of safety officers walking around the hospital campus. Officers approached all employees using tobacco on and around hospital grounds. Tobacco-free campus wide notifications were given to these employees. Supervisors were notified and expected to follow up with their employees. The first week after implementing this procedure 149 notifications were issued. The following week the number decreased to 38 and the third week the numbers decreased even further to 21 notifications issued.

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