Council Dismisses Reports of a No Smoking at Home Policy
Claims had been made that staff had been banned from lighting up
Hammersmith & Fulham council has categorically dismissed a report which claimed that their staff had been instructed not to smoke while working from home.
The claim, which appeared in a number of national newspapers, was that employees had been told that they had to adhere to the same restrictions that would apply in the office.
In a statement the council said, “Hammersmith & Fulham Council has never had a policy about employees smoking at home. The recent newspaper report is categorically untrue.
“Kensington and Chelsea Council did have such a policy, which they introduced in 2015. H&F Council had a contract with K&C (as it does with many service providers) to undertake work on our behalf. And K&C's management of their staff is solely a matter for them. We have since ended that contract.
“While we would always advise people against smoking, we would never instruct people about smoking in their own homes. “
Health and safety guidance was issued to staff in 2015 that stated: "any part of a private dwelling used solely for work purposes will be required to be smoke-free".
The original claim about the council’s policy appear in a report by Josie Appleton entitled, "Smokefree Ideology - How local authorities are waging war on choice and personal freedom”
The report's author said, “It would be better if councils focused on providing public services, rather than interfering in the lifestyle choices of their employees and residents."
September 25, 2020