1. Smoking in the Workplace The Issues Heat Up.
- Author
-
Gruenberg, Gladys W.
- Subjects
SMOKING in the workplace ,AMERICAN business enterprises ,WORK environment - Abstract
The article focuses on key issues facing arbitrators involved in disputes concerning no-smoking rules in workplaces in the U.S. While cases of a total ban on smoking in the workplace are still rare, policies restricting smoking are on the rise. A recent report by the Bureau of National Affairs states that in 1987, more than 50 percent of companies surveyed had adopted policies restricting workplace smoking, up from 36 percent in 1986. Many cities and states have enacted legislation restricting smoking in places of public accommodation as well as workplaces. In St. Louis, for example, General American Life Insurance Co. prohibited smoking throughout its general headquarters as of January 1, 1988. Since non-union employers may make unilateral changes in work rules, these restrictions on smoking are likely to begin in unorganized establishments. But as pressure for action in this area builds, union workplaces may be affected and grievances that arise from these changes may result in arbitration.
- Published
- 1988