to. Smoking, as a shared vice, is the type of habit that creates bonds
and transcends ranks. As reviled as it is, it can act as a lubricant
in the workplace, helping people connect and making information
flow smoothly, as part of the art of putting things in perspective.
As an example, well into the 1990s a large distributor of com-puter
and technology products had designated rooms where
employees could go for a smoke. As it turned out, the talk in
these rooms would include conflicts between people, ideas for
new products and processes that didn’t work. Managers, whether
they smoked or not, recognized these informal sessions as a source
of valuable feedback on issues that affected morale, productivity
and profitability.
HR has a role in suggesting the EAP if smokers ask for help in
kicking the habit. Our role is certainly not to focus on cost and
lecture those who are addicted, use it as stress relief as they deal
with daily pressure at work or when they are the middle part of the
responsibility sandwich in life. Let’s recognize that smoking is part
of the mix of strengths and weaknesses that each of us have and
see if we can turn vice into value. n
Evert Akkerman is an award-winning HR professional and founder
of XNL HR.
career literacy
WHILE SMOKING IS BROADLY
RECOGNIZED AS AN ADDICTION,
SMOKERS ARE NOT CONSIDERED
TO HAVE A DISABILITY AND
THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT
PROTECTED BY LEGISLATION.
jovanas / 123RF
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