Hiring employees who smoke is proving costly for U.S. companies as they have to pay $6,000 more per year for a smoker than a non-smoker, according to a new study held by a group of researchers from Ohio University.
Their study was published in the journal Tobacco Control in early June. Researchers estimate that smokers cause more than $3,000 of losses annually because of smoking breaks, which take about half an hour a day. Moreover, they spend $2,000 per year more for health insurance than non-smoking employees.
In addition, the statistics showed that smokers often skip work (these costs are estimated at $517) and they are less effective ($462 a year). However, for employers who provide corporate pensions, a smoker's early death could result in an annual cost reduction of an estimated $296. The Ohio State University study was released amid a gradual change in the employers’ attitude towards their smoking staff. Thus, some firms started to take more money from smokers for health insurance than from non-smokers; others just gave up hiring them or set a deadline to get rid of the bad habit. The press release for the article says that the study is aimed at helping employers assess the risks more accurately when hiring smokers.
