Removing or reducing the opportunity to smoke in the workplace encourages workers to think about quitting and to stop smoking successfully. People who do not smoke are less likely to have health problems, which can reflect in reduced absenteeism in the workplace.
Quit Victoria can help workplaces offer healthy choices to staff by providing supportive quitting programs that assists smokers to think about their smoking habits and to support smokers in their quitting attempts.
Quit offers a range of on-site programs run by trained Quit educators. You can help your staff choose the healthy lifestyle option by organising a seminar or course to be run at your workplace.
Seminar
The seminar is a 60 or 90-minute information session where your staff can find out more about:
- Why they smoke
- What type of smoker they are
- How to cut down or quit
- Coping with possible withdrawal symptoms
The seminar is useful for anyone who wants information on smoking and quitting, especially:
- Smokers having difficulties coping with smoking restrictions
- Smokers thinking about quitting or cutting down
- Smokers wanting to find out how to quit and what to expect
- Smokers just wanting to know what's available to help them quit
Importantly, the seminar can also help managers and policy developers gain an understanding of the difficulties some smokers may face when attempting to quit or cope with workplace smoking restrictions.
Total cost: $ 350.00 per seminar.
Fresh Start Course
The Fresh Start Course comprises of eight one-hour sessions held over four weeks. The course provides information, resources and support to the participants about quitting smoking and staying quit.
Total cost: $ 1750.00 per Fresh Start course, (maximum number of people for each course is 15 people).
Short Course
This is a two-session course combined with support from Quitline's telephone call-back service. The course comprises of a three-hour group discussion, led by a Quit educator with a follow up session two weeks later.
Total Cost: $ 750.00 per Short Course, (maximum number of people for each course is 8 people).
Helpful information to assist you in organising your Quit program
Quit recognises that many workplaces operate outside standard working hours. We do our best to accommodate workplaces that have a number of shifts throughout the day and night.
The most popular working days to run workplace programs are Tuesday through to Thursday. When choosing dates try to avoid those that fall on or close to public and school holidays or regular rostered days off.
When deciding on what dates and time ask your staff if they have a preference. You could also schedule the course at a time when there are usually staff meetings.
Ensure that there is a suitable room available within your workplace on the day(s) and at the time you will require it.
In booking your Quit course please allow four weeks notice.
A checklist
Prior to booking a program please ensure you have the following information.
Have you:
- Selected the Quit program? (Seminar or Course);
- Chosen the day(s) and time you would like the program to be run within your workplace?;
- Booked a suitable room on the day(s) and time you require?; and
- Estimated how many staff will be attending?
Are you able to provide to Quit the:
- Name of the person organising the program within your workplace;
- Person's position within the company;
- Person's direct land line and email address; and
- Company's street address
All Quit programs are group-orientated, evaluated and constitute best practice smoking cessation training
For further information email workplace@quit.org.au .