Agenda item

Surjit Nagra, OD / HR Business Partner, introduced a report seeking Member approval for a new Staff Smoke Free Policy and procedure in support of the Council becoming smoke free as from 1^st April 2016..

The current Smoking Policy  confirms that staff are  not allowed to smoke within the working hours 09.30 - 12.00 noon and 14.00 – 16.30 pm. The new Staff Smoke Free Policy confirms that there will be no smoking  permitted at any time on any Council site.. The policy follows on from the Council  signing the Smoke Free Declaration, a local government declaration on tobacco control.,

Consultation on the new policy had involved Trade Unions, the Corporate Management Team, the Employee Engagement Forum, Cambridge Education and Arvato among others, and had ended on 8^th January 2016. Consultees had accepted the proposed implementation of the new policy. Specific feedback received had predominantly focussed on questions regarding the implementation of the policy, e.g. whether employees could smoke in their cars off-site, etc. A ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ document would be produced to address such concerns.

To help support staff to become smoke free, the Council had engaged with Solutions 4 Health who, since January 2015, had been active in providing one to one confidential support, weekly nicotine replacement therapy and expert advice to staff. The Public Health team had helped to raise awareness of the support available to staff, and five employees had signed up to the Commit to Quit plan, whose progress would be reviewed with Solutions 4 Health.

The Officer requested that the Committee approve the new policy, and agree the proposed implementation date of 1^st April 2016.

Resolved -   (a) That the new Staff Smoke Free Policy and procedure be approved

  (b) That the proposed policy implementation date of 1^st April 2016 be approved