Banning e-cigarettes in enclosed spaces will help to clarify an area that has sparked rows in workplaces across the UK say Wolters Kluwer’s HR and Health & Safety experts Croner. Over the last three years, Croner’s Business Support Helpline has seen a sharp increase in calls as e-cigarettes have grown in popularity. Mike Allen, Croner MD at Wolters Kluwer, says: “Smoking in enclosed (or substantially enclosed) public places, including workplaces was banned in July 2007. However, the legislation does not apply to e-cigarettes as they do not appear to fall within the definition of “smoking”. This has presented employers with a dilemma of whether or not e-cigarettes should be used within the workplace. “The fact that ministers in Wales are looking to ban e-cigarettes in enclosed spaces, will massively help employers with this increasingly difficult area, as there are currently no rules for them to follow.” There are a number of issues surrounding e-cigarette use in the workplace:
- employers are under a statutory duty to protect the health and safety of the workforce
- the use of e-cigarettes at work may not fit in with the intended professional image of the organisation and its likely promotion of employee wellbeing.
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