Shepell·fgi wants you to go smoke free.
The company has launched a new online program to help employees kick the smoking habit. The program is an upgrade to smoking cessation services already offered under Shepell·fgi’s employee assistance program.
The new online component provides users with an interactive experience that includes tips, tools and a support network of health care professionals and peers.
Shepell·fgi’s ‘Stop Smoking Centre’ offers a nicotine dependency test and quit meter, which tracks the employee’s quit date, the number of smoke-free days he or she achieves and the amount of money saved by not buying cigarettes.
The program also includes access to an online support group, moderated by health care professionals.
“By delivering a robust program with more intuitive navigation and added features, we’re putting the user in control,” said Rita Fridella, senior vice-president and chief clinician, operations at Shepell·fgi.
“The tool broadens the continuum of ‘help options’ for our clients,” says Barb Veder, clinical director for Shepell·fgi. “Now you have a self-directed, interactive tool that supports employees whose lifestyle and learning style match this approach.”
Veder says that because the tool is customized, employees can jump in at any time, whether they’re contemplating quitting, attempting to quit, managing cravings or relapsing. “The intervention is not linear, but more dynamic, based on the employee’s needs at that stage,” she says.
“The program is customized to your unique requirements and preferences, making it easier for you to receive the right type and amount of support,” says Fridella.
More and more employers are offering smoking cessation programs as part of their benefits plans, and for good reason. Smoking can affect productivity—not only because a smoker’s schedule may be guided by his or her cravings, but also due to increased absences due to illness.
A 2006 study by the Conference Board of Canada found that smokers take two more sick days per year than their non-smoking colleagues, translating—at the time—into an average cost of $323 per smoker per year in lost revenues to the employer.
Recently, the Toronto Star reported the Ontario government would begin funding smoking cessations drugs Champix and Zyban as part of the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan, effective August 4—a financial boon for employers currently offering coverage for those drugs under their benefits plans. Quebec, P.E.I. and Saskatchewan are currently the only other provinces to provide reimbursement for smoking cessation products. British Columbia is expected to follow suit in September.