Companies pay almost $6,000 extra per year for each employee who smokes, study finds

"A new study suggests that U.S. businesses pay almost $6,000 per year extra for each employee who smokes compared to the cost to employ a person who has never smoked cigarettes....

"By drawing on previous research on the costs of absenteeism, lost productivity, smoke breaks and health care costs, the researchers developed an estimate that each employee who smokes costs an employer an average of $5,816 annually above the cost of a person who never smoked. These annual costs can range from $2,885 to $10,125, according to the research...."

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-companies-extra-year-employee.html

Berman, et al. (2013). "Estimating the cost of a smoking employee." Tobacco Control. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2012-050888. Abstract.

This resource has been added to our Trauma's Monetary Costs to Society page.