MightyRecruiterSmoking can be a potential problem for employers and employees alike. Balancing the rights of smokers and nonsmokers, as well as navigating a variety of laws and regulations, can be a difficult task to manage in the workplace. Here’s a useful guide when it comes to smoking in the workplace.
Prohibiting Smoking
First of all, it’s important to remember that laws regulating smoking will vary from state to state. Generally speaking, employers have the right to prohibit employees from smoking in the workplace. However, most states take this a step further and actively require them to do so. Counties, cities, town governments, and other municipalities might have rules and regulations of their own. Depending on your location, local laws might prohibit smoking in all but certain types of businesses, such as bars or some restaurants.
Designated Areas
Some states allow employers to establish designated smoking areas in their workplaces. These usually must be enclosed and carefully ventilated. Many states prohibit this, however, and there may also be restrictions on which types of businesses can include designated smoking areas—places like health care facilities usually do not allow them.Although smoking outdoors is usually allowed, there may also be restrictions placed on where smoking can occur. For example, smoking is typically restricted within a certain distance of a building’s entrances and exits as well as the ventilation system’s intake. These rules will also vary from state to state.
Hiring and Firing
While smoking might be restricted in the workplace, it may be illegal for a business to hire or fire employees based on their smoking habits. Although some states offer no legal protections for smokers, a few (including New York, Colorado, and California) explicitly state that employers cannot punish employees for lawful activities performed while not at work—including smoking. Employers in these states cannot hire or fire their employees based on off-duty tobacco usage. Note, however, that this only applies to tobacco. Marijuana use is an entirely different matter because it is illegal on a federal level as well as in many states. Additionally, tobacco usage is sometimes spelled out as an activity that employers cannot punish their employees for, while marijuana is not.
ADA and OSHA
What about the rights of non-smokers? The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) generally requires employers to create a smoke-free work environment if any of their employees have disabilities that can be made worse by secondhand smoke. This can include respiratory ailments or even allergies. This regulation applies to almost any business with 15 or more employees, unless they can demonstrate that compliance would create an undue hardship.On the other hand, the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) applies to everyone, both with disabilities and without. This law does not usually help protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke. Although air quality requirements are part of the law, indoor smoking rarely, if ever, exceeds them.
Insurance
If a smoker receives health insurance through his or her employer, it’s generally legal to charge them higher premiums. This is because insurance providers are hoping to encourage them to quit, reducing necessary medical care and thus overall costs. Even the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which eliminated insurance discrimination for many health problems, does not protect smokers in this regard.
E-Cigs
Electronic cigarettes and vapor devices are becoming increasingly popular as traditional tobacco usage declines. Due to the sudden surge in popularity of these devices, regulations governing them are not comprehensive. Many states do not specifically mention these devices in their laws, although a small handful do. Some of them treat e-cigarettes the same way they treat regular cigarettes while others expressly permit them as an alternative to traditional products. Additionally, many municipalities have created their own laws. Employers and employees should check with local authorities when it comes to specific smoking regulations. Although there are many different ways that tobacco use is governed, determining each party’s rights doesn’t have to be difficult.
Legal Disclaimer
The content on our website is only meant to provide general information and is not legal advice. We make our best efforts to make sure the information is accurate, but we cannot guarantee it. Do not rely on the content as legal advice. For assistance with legal problems or for a legal inquiry please contact you attorney.