Government and Workplace Regulation of Smoking
The United States has traditionally taken a more stringent stance against smoking in public places and private workplaces than most other countries. However, by the middle of the 2000s, this had already begun to shift. After being ratified by many countries worldwide, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control of the World Health Organization went into effect in 2005. The convention demanded that governments take measures to safeguard their citizens from being exposed to secondhand smoke in the workplace. As a way of regulating smoking at workplaces, both the government and employers have been implementing policies to reduce smoking and protect non-smokers who do not wish to inhale tobacco.
Balancing Employee Rights and Public Health
Employers should have a smoking policy restricting or banning workplace smoking. This policy should emphasize the requirements of individuals who prefer to avoid breathing in tobacco smoke. However, employers should discuss the matter of a smoking policy with their staff members and any representatives they may have before implementing it in their particular place of business.
Since it invades people’s privacy while not at the workplace, employers should not have the authority to restrict or ban smoking by employees off the job. This is one of the arguments against giving employers such power. In addition, several municipalities and states have passed anti-smoking ordinances or regulations that make smoking in enclosed workplaces and public areas illegal.
As a result, most public venues have areas set apart specifically for people who wish to light up a cigarette. Further on, several states, including some of the same ones, have approved legislation that makes it illegal to discriminate against smokers in the workplace. The rules do not alter smoking bans or limitations in the workplace; nevertheless, they prohibit firms from discriminating against smokers when hiring or terminating employees, and they also bar companies from firing employees who smoke.
Even though it is known that smoking has significant adverse effects on health, governments have remained hesitant to react to the increasing health epidemic. There is now widespread consensus that governments need to take a holistic approach to regulating tobacco products to make a significant dent in the number of people who smoke. One of the comprehensive approaches that the government should take is to regulate smoking in public and private places of employment. Other workplace measures the government should implement include increased tobacco taxation, ample, bold health warnings on tobacco products, and regulating tobacco to standards agreed upon by employers rather than the tobacco industry. In general, government regulation of smoking in workplaces will ensure the reduction of smokers nationally.
Multinational Corporations and Local Laws
The policy of multinational corporations about smoking in the workplace should differ depending on the local laws and standards of behavior in the many countries where they conduct business. A corporation must ensure that it abides by the local laws and customs of the countries where it does business to maintain goodwill with the residents of those nations. In addition, complying with local regulations is a must for any company operating inside the site. This is because the community typically approves local laws to govern it. In conclusion, the company’s profitability will grow if it complies with the local laws and norms of conduct regarding smoking. This is because they will be trusted to uphold the community’s health.