Jump to full article: Maktoob.com (ua), 2008-02-21
Intro: The Middle East’s gradual progress towards smoke-free workplaces and hotels could have unexpected financial benefit for the region, according to a new study of attitudes towards smoking habits.
Nearly half of employers believe that smoking has a negative financial impact on their company and that their employees who smoke are actually less productive than their non-smoking counterparts. Even more surprisingly, almost a third of smokers (31 percent) agree that they are less productive in the workplace owing to their smoking habits.
The Global Workplace Survey shows that the average smoker smokes 8-10 cigarettes per day, which takes an average of half an hour. When calculated on a calendar year, this equates to approximately 17 working days – just over three weeks – lost per year, per smoker.
Across the GCC region, there are ongoing discussions regarding reducing smoking in the workplace.
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