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A Smoking Policy is a formal workplace document that defines where tobacco and vaping use is permitted on company premises, what areas are strictly prohibited, how violations are investigated and disciplined, and what cessation resources the employer makes available to staff. It applies to all employees, contractors, and visitors, covering every indoor space and specifying setback distances from entrances and air intakes for any outdoor areas where smoking may be allowed. Because most jurisdictions mandate written smoke-free workplace rules and require specific signage, the policy serves both as an internal conduct standard and as documented evidence of regulatory compliance.
Without a written smoking policy, employees make their own assumptions about where smoking is acceptable β typically just outside the nearest door, directly in the path of colleagues entering the building. Complaints about secondhand smoke exposure follow, and without a formal policy the employer has no documented standard to enforce or defend. Regulatory inspectors in most US states, Canadian provinces, and UK local authorities will ask to see a written smoke-free policy during a workplace inspection; the absence of one can trigger a formal notice and financial penalty. A published policy with individual acknowledgements also closes the most common disciplinary appeal β that the employee did not know the rules β before it is raised. This template gives you a complete, editable starting point that covers the ten core sections every compliant smoking policy needs, from prohibited zones to cessation support, so you can move from blank page to distributed policy in under two hours.
| If your situation is⦠| Use this template |
|---|---|
| Complete ban on all tobacco and vaping across the entire property | Smoke-Free Campus Policy |
| Office building with a designated outdoor smoking zone | Smoking Policy with Designated Areas |
| Multi-site retail or hospitality business | Multi-Location Smoking Policy |
| Healthcare or school campus requiring zero-tolerance enforcement | Tobacco-Free Campus Policy |
| Policy update to include e-cigarettes and vaping devices | Tobacco and Vaping Policy |
| Construction or industrial site with outdoor work areas | Worksite Smoking Policy |
Why it matters: Employees assume vaping is permitted if the policy only mentions cigarettes and tobacco. Secondhand aerosol exposure complaints follow, and the employer has no written basis to discipline.
Fix: Update the definitions section to explicitly cover all electronic nicotine delivery devices and heated tobacco products. Review definitions annually as new product categories emerge.
Why it matters: Without a numerical setback, employees smoke immediately outside the door, exposing non-smokers to secondhand smoke and potentially violating local ordinances that mandate specific distances.
Fix: State the setback in metres or feet β at minimum match the local legal requirement, and consider adding an extra buffer of 2β3 metres to reduce complaints.
Why it matters: Non-employee smokers in prohibited areas create the same health and compliance exposure as employees, and staff quickly notice the inconsistency, eroding the policy's credibility.
Fix: Extend scope explicitly to all persons on company premises and assign responsibility to a named role (reception, facilities) for briefing visitors on arrival.
Why it matters: Non-smoking employees who observe colleagues taking frequent unscheduled smoking breaks raise formal grievances about unequal treatment β a morale and potential legal problem.
Fix: State clearly in the policy whether smoking breaks are included within standard break allowances, and ensure line managers apply the rule uniformly across all staff.
Why it matters: A policy employees have never seen cannot be enforced. Disciplinary action for a smoking violation will be challenged if the employer cannot prove the employee knew the rules.
Fix: Distribute the policy to all employees upon publication, collect a signed or LMS-recorded acknowledgement from each individual, and include it in every new-hire onboarding pack.
Why it matters: Smoke-free legislation has expanded significantly in most jurisdictions over the past decade, often adding e-cigarettes and new setback requirements. An outdated policy may reference repealed rules or miss newly prohibited areas.
Fix: Schedule an annual policy review in the HR calendar, and trigger an unscheduled review whenever local smoke-free workplace law changes in any jurisdiction where the company operates.
Before completing the template, identify the smoke-free workplace laws that apply to your city, state, or province. These set mandatory minimum distances from entrances and may require specific signage.
π‘ Search '[your state/province] smoke-free workplace act' plus the current year β many jurisdictions have updated rules to cover e-cigarettes and vaping since 2020.
Enter every office, facility, vehicle, and off-site location the policy will govern. If your company has multiple sites with different layouts, create a schedule or annex listing each location.
π‘ Include company-sponsored off-site events explicitly β a team day at an external venue creates the same duty-of-care obligations as your own premises.
List every indoor space and add a numerical setback distance from all building entrances, windows, and air intakes. Check local law for the minimum required distance β typically 5 to 10 metres in most jurisdictions.
π‘ Err on the side of a larger setback than the legal minimum. A buffer beyond the regulatory floor reduces complaints and shows demonstrable good faith if the policy is ever challenged.
Identify the specific outdoor location(s) where smoking is permitted, confirm it meets setback requirements, and add details on signage and waste disposal. If no compliant location exists, note that the site is smoke-free.
π‘ Walk the site physically before finalising the location β check prevailing wind direction so smoke does not drift back into building entrances or outdoor seating areas.
State explicitly whether smoking breaks are drawn from existing break allowances or are additional. Align this with your general break policy so the treatment of smokers and non-smokers is consistent.
π‘ If your jurisdiction mandates a specific number of paid breaks, confirm that absorbing smoking breaks into that allowance is legally permissible before publishing the policy.
Align the enforcement section with your existing disciplinary procedure β same stages, same documentation process, same appeal rights. The smoking policy should reference the main disciplinary policy rather than create a parallel process.
π‘ Name the role responsible for issuing each stage of warning (line manager, HR) so there is no ambiguity about who acts when a violation is reported.
Enter the actual phone number or URL for your EAP, the dollar amount of any nicotine replacement therapy subsidy, and the number of paid cessation leave hours available. Placeholder text must be replaced before distribution.
π‘ Contact your EAP provider for a one-page cessation resource sheet you can attach to the policy β it costs nothing and significantly increases uptake.
Send the finalised policy to all employees, post it on the intranet and in common areas, and record that each employee has read and understood it β either via a signed acknowledgement form or an LMS completion record.
π‘ For new hires, include the smoking policy in the onboarding pack and collect the acknowledgement on day one, before the employee has had a chance to form habits on-site.
A workplace smoking policy is a formal document that defines where employees, contractors, and visitors may or may not smoke on company premises, how violations are handled, and what support the employer provides to those who want to quit. It protects non-smoking employees from secondhand smoke exposure, helps the employer comply with local smoke-free workplace laws, and sets a consistent standard that managers can enforce fairly.
In most US states, Canadian provinces, the UK, and EU member states, employers are legally required to have a written smoke-free workplace policy and to display no-smoking signage. The specific requirements β mandatory setback distances, covered product categories, and required notice periods β vary by jurisdiction. Even where a written policy is not explicitly mandated, having one in place is considered standard practice and significantly reduces employer liability.
Yes. Most smoke-free workplace laws enacted or updated after 2016 extend to electronic cigarettes and vaping devices, and many jurisdictions explicitly include them in the definition of prohibited tobacco products. Even where local law has not yet been updated, including vaping in your policy definitions is best practice β aerosol from vaping devices is not harmless, and employees have a reasonable expectation of protection from it.
Yes, in most jurisdictions. A fully smoke-free campus policy β banning all tobacco and vaping use anywhere on the property, including outdoor areas β is legally permissible in most of the US, Canada, the UK, and the EU. Some jurisdictions with strong privacy protections limit an employer's ability to restrict off-duty smoking, but on-premises rules are generally enforceable regardless of those protections.
No legal entitlement to extra smoking breaks exists in most jurisdictions. Employers are generally free to specify that smoking breaks are drawn from standard break allowances. The key is to apply this rule consistently β if non-smokers are not permitted equivalent additional personal breaks, granting smokers extra unscheduled time away from work creates an inequity that can give rise to formal grievances.
Violations should be addressed under the same progressive disciplinary procedure used for other policy breaches β verbal warning, written warning, final written warning, and potential termination for repeated offences. The smoking policy should reference the main disciplinary policy rather than create a separate process. Consistent, documented enforcement is essential: selective enforcement is one of the most common grounds on which disciplinary action for a smoking violation is overturned.
At minimum, include the contact details for your EAP and any referral service it offers for smoking cessation. If the company provides a nicotine replacement therapy subsidy, state the dollar amount and how to claim it. If paid leave for cessation programme attendance is available, specify the number of hours per year. Generic language promising 'support' without listing actual resources is widely perceived as performative and reduces trust in the policy overall.
An annual review is standard practice. Trigger an additional unscheduled review whenever local smoke-free workplace legislation changes in any jurisdiction where the company operates, when the company opens a new site, or when a significant enforcement issue or employee complaint reveals a gap in the current policy. Document the review date and any changes made, and redistribute the updated policy with a new acknowledgement request.
Yes. Company vehicles should be explicitly named as smoke-free in the policy. Most jurisdictions that regulate smoking in enclosed workplaces extend that prohibition to employer-provided vehicles, particularly where more than one person uses the vehicle. Even where not legally required, banning smoking in company vehicles protects non-smoking employees who drive the same vehicle and preserves the asset's condition and resale value.
A drug and alcohol policy governs the use of intoxicating substances that impair performance and safety, typically with testing provisions and immediate-suspension consequences. A smoking policy focuses on tobacco and vaping use in designated areas and is enforced through a standard progressive discipline process. Both belong in the employee handbook, but they address distinct risk categories and have different enforcement mechanics.
A health and wellness policy sets out the employer's broader approach to employee wellbeing β fitness programmes, mental health support, nutritional initiatives, and preventive care. A smoking policy is a narrower, compliance-driven document focused specifically on tobacco use and location-based rules. The smoking policy's cessation support section can cross-reference the wellness policy for broader stop-smoking resources.
A code of conduct covers the full range of expected employee behaviours β ethics, professionalism, use of company property, and interpersonal standards. A smoking policy is a specific operational document covering one behavioural category in detail. The code of conduct typically references the smoking policy by name rather than reproducing its content.
A disciplinary policy establishes the company's overarching framework for addressing all forms of misconduct β stages, investigation procedures, appeal rights, and documentation requirements. A smoking policy relies on and references that framework but does not replicate it. The two documents work together: the smoking policy defines the rule, and the disciplinary policy governs how breaches are processed.
Hospitals and clinics typically operate fully smoke-free campuses covering all outdoor areas, with strict enforcement for staff, patients, and visitors and a strong cessation programme embedded in employee health benefits.
Customer-facing sites require clear signage at entrances, designated areas positioned well away from queuing zones and outdoor dining, and a visitor-briefing protocol at reception or the host stand.
Outdoor worksites require defined smoking zones away from flammable materials, safety hazards, and areas where non-smoking trades workers must pass, with contractor induction covering the rules on day one.
Fire risk and chemical exposure make strict no-smoking rules essential near production floors; designated areas must account for shift patterns and be positioned to avoid interference with loading and logistics traffic.
Office-based firms in leased buildings must align their policy with building-owner rules and local ordinances, clearly designating any permitted outdoor areas and addressing client and visitor compliance during on-site meetings.
Schools and universities typically operate tobacco-free campuses by law or institutional mandate, requiring enforcement procedures that cover students, staff, and external contractors alike.
| Path | Best for | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use the template | Small and medium businesses needing a straightforward policy for a single site or a small number of locations | Free | 1β2 hours |
| Template + professional review | Multi-site businesses, unionised workplaces, or employers in jurisdictions with complex or recently updated smoke-free legislation | $200β$500 for an HR consultant or employment lawyer review | 1β3 days |
| Custom drafted | Large enterprises with operations across multiple jurisdictions, healthcare or education campuses with zero-tolerance mandates, or businesses facing an active complaint or regulatory inquiry | $500β$2,000+ | 1β2 weeks |
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