There are 1.3 million people in the UK who use electronic cigarettes. For a long time now employers have been grappling with whether smoking electronic cigarettes at work should be treated the same or differently to smoking at work. Smoking in the workplace is banned, but that ban does not extend to smoking electronic cigarettes at work. A recent tribunal decision has helped clarify things a little.
A Catering Assistant was seen by a Head Teacher to be using her electronic cigarette in full view of school pupils. The employee resigned and claimed constructive dismissal against her employer, the catering company, as they were facing a disciplinary hearing. However, the claim was not upheld.
The tribunal made it clear that the school’s Smoking Policy would have been relevant in considering the case. The Policy banned smoking on school premises. However, it did not expressly prohibit smoking electronic cigarettes at work. If the Catering Assistant had been dismissed, she could have argued that she had been unfairly dismissed because the policy did not expressly prohibit smoking electronic cigarettes at work.
The Effects
The jury is still out on the health effects of smoking electronic cigarettes at work. Public Health England in 2014 concluded that the hazards of using e-cigarettes and being exposed to second-hand vapour are likely to be low. The World Health Organisation also concluded that e-cigarettes were less harmful than conventional cigarettes. However, they cautioned that the vapour emitted by e-cigarettes is not “water vapour” as frequently claimed. It is a vapour containing nicotine and other toxic particles. The situation is further complicated for employers who are trying to establish a policy on smoking electronic cigarettes at work. Until 2016 there have been no controls over the content of electronic cigarettes. Therefore, the toxicity and odour of the vapour from electronic cigarettes may vary from product to product.
Although employers may wish to support cigarette smokers who switch to electronic cigarettes. The British Medical Association advice is that regulating the smoking of electronic cigarettes in the workplace may be the best option to safeguard the health of all employees. Developing a policy on smoking electronic cigarettes at work is not something that employers can afford to be passive about.
Metis HR is a professional HR Consultancy based in the North West of England supporting clients across the country. We specialise in providing outsourced HR services to small and medium-sized businesses. Call us now on 01706 565332 to discuss how we may help you.
