This Japanese firm gives extra paid leaves to non-smoking workers
A Japanese firm has done what the biggest of nations have failed to accomplish - effectively discourage its people from smoking. No, it doesn't preach or force its employees into quitting. It in fact does something rather simple and brilliant - gives its non-smoking employees six extra paid leaves to compensate for the frequent smoke breaks that the other employees take.
The firm's non-smoking employees complained of working longer hours
The administration of Piala Inc, a Japanese advertising/marketing support services firm, didn't conceive this idea. It was only after their non-smoking employees complained of working longer hours than their other colleagues that the firm decided to fairly address the situation. With some employees taking frequent 15-minute smoke breaks every day, the company decided to compensate the non-smokers by giving them extra paid holidays.
21.7% of Japanese adults smoke, says WHO report
Since its introduction in September, the new policy has gained much popularity among Piala Inc's employees. 120 of them have already availed the added leaves and four others have reportedly quit smoking. As per a World Health Organization report, 21.7% of Japanese adults smoke. Japan also fares poorly on the WHO list of nations following anti-smoking regulations.
Smoking costs the world economy over $1 trillion a year
According to a study published by the WHO and US National Cancer Institute earlier this year, one third more people will die of smoking by 2030 than now. Smoking costs the world economy over $1 trillion a year, which is far more than the global revenues earned from tobacco taxes ($269 billion in 2013-2014 as per WHO estimates).
