The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has a useful post on smoking cessation programs and ROI. Not much new here, but a nice roundup if you're setting up a program, or are thinking about it.
In particular, the post cites ROI figures, from the Center for Health Research , Kaiser Permanente Northwest:
Smokers incur $1,600 per year more in health-care costs than non-smokers
By year five of an employer-funded quit-smoking program, benefits savings are nearly twice the program's cost.
And what techniques have been found effective? Quoting from the SHRM report, authored by Stephen Miller:
• Mandating a smoke-free workplace , and creating a "culture of quitting" with effective marketing and messaging.
• Encouraging employee health risk appraisals and tobacco counseling from their physician.
• Providing access to telephone "quit lines."
• Covering pharmacological therapy on a first-dollar basis.
• Eliminating co-pays for cessation-related expenses and, when feasible, providing other incentives.
The report includes details about the success that Quintiles Inc., a North Carolina firm, has had with its quit-smoking program--and some impressive stats showing its success. One incentive for participants: A certificate for successful quitters signed by the company's chief medical officer.
The SHRM report also includes some useful links for other resources on smoking cessation.
In particular, the post cites ROI figures, from the Center for Health Research , Kaiser Permanente Northwest:
- Smokers incur $1,600 per year more in health-care costs than non-smokers
- By year five of an employer-funded quit-smoking program, benefits savings are nearly twice the program's cost.
And what techniques have been found effective? Quoting from the SHRM report, authored by Stephen Miller:The report includes details about the success that Quintiles Inc., a North Carolina firm, has had with its quit-smoking program--and some impressive stats showing its success. One incentive for participants: A certificate for successful quitters signed by the company's chief medical officer.
The SHRM report also includes some useful links for other resources on smoking cessation.