I’d thought about quitting for years, but I really liked smoking. I enjoyed sitting in front of the TV after a long day of work with a cigarette and a scotch. Sure, I knew it wasn’t good for me. Sure, I was president of our company’s wellness division—and I got the ribbing to go along with it.
I felt three or four cigarettes a day weren’t a big deal. I am an endurance athlete, and never felt like smoking affected my performance. I never coughed, and because I smoked so little, neither my clothes nor my apartment smelled strongly. I felt very little reason to quit until my company applied pressure.
It wasn’t a “quit or get fired” mandate. Instead, my company instituted a health insurance discount for non-smokers, but I knew right away that, in reality, it was a penalty for smokers. The “discount” was sizable, and it added quite a bump to the price of a pack of cigarettes. But you didn’t have to quit to get the discount, you only had to enroll in the company-sponsored tobacco cessation program.
I did quit, though. The financial penalty was a big motivator. Another was having to identify myself as a smoker on a company document. The look of it just made me feel lousy. The incentive policy also brought home that smoking was a real threat to my health. If my company was going to take a stand, I knew it wasn’t because they loved me; it was because it was a smart business decision. They wanted me to quit smoking because, as a smoker, I was at higher risk for expensive diseases like lung cancer and emphysema. So I quit. Cold turkey. I didn’t use the company’s tobacco cessation program, but it was nice to know it was there if I needed it.
I’ve been tobacco-free for nearly two years. And I do feel the difference when I’m hiking at high altitudes. I also like telling a “quit” story rather than a list of excuses for being the smoking “wellness” guy. For me, my company’s tobacco cessation program was the last reminder I needed to ditch the cancer sticks, and I’m grateful, healthier, and less of a liability to my employer because of it.
Ken,
How is the penalty for smokers enforced? What prevents a smoker from claiming not to be a tobacco user to obtain the non-smoker “discount?” Furthermore, is one required to notify his company or carrier should he begin smoking after enrolling as a non-smoker?
Tom –
You ask good questions. Most companies rely upon employees to be honest. There are some that require nicotine testing to verify non-smoking election but they are few. As for beginning or returning to smoking, there often is no mechanism in place and the employee would remain under the discounted plan until the next open enrollment . Which bring us back to your question about employee honesty, Companies expect employees to be honest in all their communication and benefit elections. Being dishonest in such dealings could be grounds for termination.
That’s great to hear, Ken! I think the wellness program at Frenkel has changed a lot of lives, myself included. Wellness is indispensable – providing the education to the masses on how to make yourself healthier will affect a change among a population. My first hand experience with wellness has given me the knowledge to understand how food is literally fuel for my body and how my food choices can directly affect my mood and even cause me to feel hungry when I’m not. The health fairs are always fun (love the massages) and the lunch and learn courses are just fabulous. The speakers have great personalities, the mood of the room is light and humorous everyone really wants to learn. And the additional incentive programs are like none I’ve had at any other employer. We’ve been ahead of the curve since this has been going on at Frenkel for years now… Thanks to you and the team for bringing it to us!