Issue - meetings

Report of the Director of Public Health seeking agreement from the Staff and Remuneration Committee of the changes to the Council’s revised Smoking Policy.

The Committee considered the report on the proposed changes to Haringey Council’s Smoking Policy, as introduced by Deborah Millward, Healthy Public Policy Officer.

The Committee asked about the decision to permit the use of e-cigarettes on outdoor Council properties but not inside. It was reported that the use of e-cigarettes indoors was recognised as a potential irritant, and was also not felt to be professional, however e-cigarettes were recognised as safe, and were therefore permitted outdoors on Council property as a way of encouraging smoking cessation amongst staff and residents.

The Chief Executive noted the inclusion in the policy of a rule that employees must smoke away from residential properties during official unpaid breaks, and suggested that the Committee may wish to write to the residents’ associations around Ringslade Road and Station Road to advise them of this change to the policy. In response to a question from the Committee regarding how this would be enforced, it was reported that Public Health were working with Internal Communications and HR to develop guidance for managers on handling this issue and were also liaising with Facilities Management on how this would be enforced. It was reported that there would be an internal communications campaign on supporting staff to stop smoking and making them aware of the forthcoming changes to the policy, prior to the new policy being introduced and that there would also be a focus on supporting smoking cessation as part of a wider Health and Wellbeing campaign in April 2017.

In response to a question from the Committee, it was reported that the level of smoking amongst Council staff was around 20%, which was slightly higher than the national average.

The Committee asked about the requirement for staff not to be identifiable as Council employees, for example not wearing lanyards whilst smoking. It was confirmed that this related to the launch of the Haringey behaviours, as smoking was not felt to be compatible with professional conduct, and that it needed to be made clear that staff were not at work when smoking.

RESOLVED

That the Committee agree the proposed changes to Haringey Council’s Smoking Policy, to take immediate effect. The proposed revised Smoking Policy was set out at Appendix A to the report to the Committee and the proposed changes included:

·         Not allowing employees to smoke during working hours. If staff wish to smoke they may only do so during unpaid breaks e.g. before and after work and at lunchtime.

·         Permitting the use of e-cigarettes (vaping) on outdoor Council properties.

·         Employees who smoke during official unpaid breaks such as lunchtime must do so away from residential properties and not congregate outside other commercial properties to smoke.

·         Instructing smokers that when smoking during official unpaid breaks they must ensure that they are not identifiable as Council employees e.g. they must not be wearing lanyards and uniform.