Smoke Free Workplace Policy
Date of publication:
Sponsor/s: People Branch/Capability Branch
Business process owners: Employee Relations Section/Tobacco Control Policy
Section/Workplace Health and Safety Section
EA clause:
68.1 The department is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all
Staff, including providing return to work opportunities for ill and injured Staff, consistent
with all legislative obligations. Further information is available in the department’s
occupational health and safety (OH&S) policy and agreement, made in consultation with
Staff and the Staff representative.
Contents
1. Purpose/Principles
2. Quick Guide
3. Detailed Information
Definitions
Working hours
Official meal break
The Smoke Free Workplace Policy
Application
Reimbursement for smoking cessation activities
How to apply for reimbursement
Cessation activities that may be supported
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
Free support
Quitline – 13 7848
Quit Pack
Quit Coach
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Buddy system
Mobile phone apps
Use of flextime
Support for managers and staff working with staff who are trying to quit
Failure to comply with the Smoke Free Workplace Policy
Further information
4. Responsibilities
Staff responsibilities
Manager responsibilities
Health and Life Team responsibilities
5. Delegations
6. Legislation
7. Related Topics, References and Forms
8. Version Control
1. Purpose/Principles
The aim of this guideline is to provide an overview of the Smoke Free Workplace Policy.
This guideline also outlines the support and assistance available to staff to help them quit
smoking and adhere to the Smoke Free Workplace Policy.
The Smoke Free Workplace Policy aligns wit
h the Enterprise Agreement 2011-2014 which
demonstrates the department’s commitment to providing a safe and healthy work
environment for all staff. The Health and Life Strategy which aims to support staff to make
healthy lifestyle choices also provides for the Smoke Free Workplace Policy.
2. Quick Guide
On 1 February 2010 the then Department of Health and Ageing adopted the Smoke Free
Workplace Policy prohibiting departmental staff from smoking while they are on duty (apart
from official meal breaks) or when representing the department in any capacity.
On 22 May 2015, the Department of Health amended this policy to also include personal
vaporisers, also known as electronic nicotine delivery systems (with or without nicotine) or
electronic cigarettes.1 Information on electronic cigarettes is available on the Therapeutic
Goods Administration website
: https://www.tga.gov.au/community-qa/electronic-cigarettes. The department recognises that smoking is addictive and to help staff to comply with the
Smoke Free Workplace Policy the department offers support and assistance to help staff quit
smoking.
3. Detailed Information
Definitions
Working hours
Working hours are those hours during which a staff member is on duty or representing the
department.
Official meal break
An official meal break is the unpaid break taken after no longer than five hours continuous
duty. This is usually between 12.30pm and 1.30pm or 12noon and 1pm for Northern
Territory staff.
The Smoke Free Workplace Policy
The Smoke Free Workplace Policy applies to all ongoing and non-ongoing departmental
staff, including State and Territory Office staff. The policy also applies to all contractors and
visitors to the department’s workplaces.
Under the Smoke Free Workplace Policy staff are not permitted to smoke, or use personal
vaporisers, within 15 metres of any part of any department premises at any time.
Departmental staff are prohibited from smoking, or using personal vaporisers, while they are
on duty or when representing the department in any capacity.
Application
Smoking or using personal vaporisers before or after working hours, or during a meal break,
is not covered by the Smoke Free Workplace Policy, however the non-smoking zones around
departmental premises apply at all times.
This Smoke Free Workplace Policy will apply if a staff member is attending an official
function and staff will not be able to smoke, or use personal vaporisers, during any social
activity initiated or organised by the department.
Reimbursement for smoking cessation activities
The department will provide reasonable reimbursement for staff to participate in an approved
smoking cessation activity. This assistance is available for all staff regardless of location.
How to apply for reimbursement
Staff members need to seek approval for a proposed smoking cessation approach and
its anticipated cost
before they can be reimbursed for any associated expenditure.
To seek approval for the proposed program and expected costs, staff members should
complete a
n application for assistance to stop smoking form and submit it to Health
and Life in People Branch. Applications can be submitted via email t
o Health and
Life or internal mail at MDP 355. Staff will be notified via email of the outcome of
their application. When an application is approved the staff member must then pay for
the item or service themselves before forwarding the invoice(s) and the receipt(s) to
Health and Life for reimbursement.
Where a staff member wishes to continue receiving support after they have been
reimbursed for the full amount approved in their original application, they will need to
submit a new application form. No further reimbursement of expenditure for smoking
cessation will be provided until a new application is approved.
Cessation activities that may be supported
There are various smoking cessation methods available and what works for one person may
not work for the next. In recognition of this, the department does not recommend a particular
approach but is willing to support and encourage the method that best suits an individual staff
member. Some approaches staff have chosen to undertake include (but are not limited to):
attendance at a recognised quit smoking program;
quit smoking literature and reference material;
nicotine replacement therapy / medications recommended by a medical practitioner;
and
nicotine replacement products.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme covers nicotine replacement products if prescribed by a
medical practitioner. The department will cover the balance of these products on presentation
of a receipt.
Free support
There are a number of support mechanisms provided as part of the
National Tobacco
Campaign to help people to stop smoking. The Quitline and Quit Coach are two proven help
support services that can help staff.
Quitline – 13 7848
Quitline is a confidential telephone advice and information service where, for the cost
of a local call (except mobile phones), a trained advisor can help people to plan and
develop strategies to quit smoking and stay quit.
Callers can speak to an advisor as many times as they wish, or use the Quitline call-
back service. The call-back service is a series of calls which provide people support
during the different phases of quitting.
Quit Pack
The Quit Pack provides practical information to help people quit smoking. The Quit Pack
includes:
the Quit book which will helps with planning and preparing to quit and provide tips
and strategies for quitting successfully;
choosing the best way to quit which is a guide to choosing the services and products
which would best help you increase your chance of quitting successfully; and
information on how people can speak to a quit advisor.
The Quit Pack can be ordered over the phone free of charge by calling the Quitline on
13 7848.
Quit Coach
The Quit Coach is a free, confidential and interactive quitting tool available online at
http://www.quitcoach.org.au/ . The QuitCoach provides users with a personalised quit plan,
based on their answers to questions about their motivation to quit, experiences of past
attempts to quit and other important issues.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The department provides a free counselling service to staff. The EAP is available to provide
advice and support on a range of matters, both work-related and personal, but is also
available to assist staff to stop smoking. More information can be found on
the EAP pages of
the intranet.
Buddy system
Many people find the support of a ‘buddy’ to be really helpful when attempting to quit
smoking. The buddy should be someone who can provide support when it is hard or stressful
to be smoke-free.
Staff members could even offer to be a ‘buddy’ to another employee through a difficult time.
Mobile phone apps
Under the National Tobacco Campaign, to support those who are quitting smoking, the
department has online quitting resources available –
My QuitBuddy and
Quit for You, Quit for
Two mobile phone apps. The apps are free and can be downloaded to your iPhone or iPad
from the
Apple iTunes online store or for your android phone a
t Google Play store at:
http://www.quitnow.gov.au/internet/quitnow/publishing.nsf/Content/quit-buddy .
Use of flextime
Flextime will not be available for breaks for smoking or for using personal vaporisers.
Support for managers and staff working with staff who are trying to quit
The Quitline (13 7848), the
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) (which is available 24
hours a day, 7 days a week), or the
Health & Life Coordinator are available to help any
manager or staff member supporting a staff member who is abstaining from smoking.
Failure to comply with the Smoke Free Workplace Policy
Where staff do not comply with the Smoke Free Workplace Policy, discussions will be held
with the staff member.
Managers and staff should work together to help ensure compliance with the Smoke Free
Workplace Policy. This may include developing a plan for the staff member. Where a staff
member refuses to comply with the Smoke Free Workplace Policy, after suitable warnings
have been given, the matter would be handled on a case by case basis. This may include
consideration of the staff member’s refusal to comply as a potential breach of
the APS
Values, Employment Principles and Code of Conduct.
Further information
Further information on smoking and support for quitting can be found at:
the frequently asked questions about the Smoke-Free Workplace Policy page
available on the intranet;
Quitnow – The National Tobacco Campaign;
Asthma Australia;
Australian Council on Smoking and Health;
Australian Lung Foundation;
Cancer Council; and
National Heart Foundation.
4. Responsibilities
Staff responsibilities
Staff responsibilities include:
complying with the Smoke Free Workplace Policy;
where necessary working with their manager to develop a plan for complying with the
Smoke Free Workplace Policy; and
where the staff member decides to apply for assistance submitting a
n application for
assistance to stop smoking form to Health and Life; and
where the staff member is approved for assistance to stop smoking submitting all
associated receipt
s to Health and Life so that they may complete the claim for
payment process.
Manager responsibilities
Manager responsibilities include:
supporting staff to quit smoking;
reminding staff members about the responsibility to comply with the Smoke Free
Workplace Policy;
where a staff member does not comply with the Smoke Free Workplace Policy
working with the staff member to develop a plan to assist them to adhere to the
policy;
warning staff that continued refusal to comply with the Smoke Free Workplace Policy
could be considered a potential breach of the APS Code of Conduct; and
where a staff member does not comply with the Smoke Free Workplace Policy after a
plan to assist them has been developed and sufficient warnings have been given,
working with People Management to develop a strategy for managing the non-
compliance.
Health and Life Team responsibilities
Health and Life Team responsibilities include:
providing staff assistance with completing application forms for assistance to stop
smoking;
assessing applications for assistance to stop smoking and advising applicants of the
outcome; and
where staff have been approved for assistance to stop smoking and demonstrate proof
of purchase (by providing a receipt) completing the claim for payment process.
5. Delegations
There are no delegations associated with this guideline.
6. Legislation
Public Service Act 1999
Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (Cth) (PGPA Act)
APS Values, Employment Principles and Code of Conduct
7. Related Topics, References and Forms
Enterprise Agreement 2011-2014
People Strategy 2010 – 2015
Application for assistance to stop smoking form
Frequently asked questions about the SmokeFree Workplace Policy
8. Version control
Version
Date of issue
Author(s)
Brief description of
Number
change
Version No:
28 May 2013
Employee Relations In accordance with EA
1.0
2011-2014.
Version No:
18 June 2013
Employee Relations
Public Service Amendment
1.1
Act 2013 - changes to the
Code of Conduct.
Version No:
22 May 2015
Employee Relations Update legislation titles.
2.0
Removal of 2 cessation
activities.
Inclusion of vaporiser use.
