Do You Know California’s New 2016 Workplace Smoking Rules?

Legislation was recently approved that changed some of the rules relating to smoking in the workplace

On May 4, 2016 Governor Brown signed a package of bills relating to smoking that become effective June 9, 2016.

The new legislation will:

• Treat the use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices that contain nicotine as “smoking” – thus extending existing smoking bans to cover such products.

• Expand smoke-free workplace protections by getting rid of most of the existing exemptions that permitted smoking in certain work environments, such as bars, hotel lobbies, warehouse facilities and employer-designated smoking break rooms.

• Expand the workplace smoking ban to include owner-operated businesses.

• Raise the minimum smoking age from 18 to 21, except for active military personnel.

We recommend you review your handbooks and Smoke-Free Workplace policies. Are they in compliance with the new regulation?

Lauren Sims, a Principal HR Consultant with eqHR Solutions, prepared this article.

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eqHR Solutions provides tactical and strategic human resources support for businesses in Southern California and the San Francisco / Bay area.