Smoking is a lifestyle choice that divides the nation. Some employees smoke and some employees don’t, and this can sometimes cause problems among teams if some are seen to be constantly popping out for a smoke break. In a bid to incentivise employees to quit smoking – both for the health benefits and to improve productivity – one firm has introduced an unusual perk.

Earlier this week, Don Bryden, Managing Director at KCJ Training and Employment Solutions, hit headlines after he introduced a new policy that rewards his non-smoking employees with an extra four days annual leave. This came after he increasingly noticed that employees who do smoke spent up to an hour per day on cigarette breaks while non-smokers stayed at their desks.

In this episode of The HR Grapevine podcast, HR Grapevine’s Online Editor, Sophie Parrott, sits down with Recruitment Grapevine’s Online Editor, Jade Burke, to discuss whether this policy is the right way to incentivise employees or whether it will just cause a divide between smoking and non-smoking employees. The pair delve into HR Grapevine’s recent coverage of the news: Boss gives non-smoking staff THIS perk each year. Additionally, the pair discuss whether an annual leave policy like this can benefit employee productivity.

Listen on to find out more.