title: Estimating the cost of a smoking employee.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We attempted to estimate the excess annual costs that a US private employer may attribute to employing an individual who smokes tobacco as compared to a non-smoking employee.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reviewing and synthesising previous literature estimating certain discrete costs associated with smoking employees, we developed a cost estimation approach that approximates the total of such costs for U.S. employers. We examined absenteeism, presenteesim, smoking breaks, healthcare costs and pension benefits for smokers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our best estimate of the annual excess cost to employ a smoker is $5816. This estimate should be taken as a general indicator of the extent of excess costs, not as a predictive point value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Employees who smoke impose significant excess costs on private employers. The results of this study may help inform employer decisions about tobacco-related policies.
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, College of Public Health & Moritz College of Law, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Micah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crane
authors.affiliation: College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seiber
authors.affiliation: Tsibouris & Associates LLC, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Munur
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010415:Pensions; D012907:Smoking / Q000191:economics*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000191:economics*
keywords: Economics; Public policy; Smoking Caused Disease