Poster of the Month, January 2016: Smoking is gambling with your health

One in two smokers will die
from a smoking-related disease

Will you
draw the
short straw?

To find out about quitting visit: www.nhs.uk/smokefree

January's Poster of the Month revisits a common health issue our posters have tackled many times before.

According to ASH Action on Smoking and Health, although smoking has more than halved in the UK since 1974, around 10 million UK adults continue to smoke. Broken down, that's around 22% of men, 17% of women and one sixth of the UK population as a whole.

Smoking prevalence is highest in the 25–34 age group. These are young people of working age, some of whom you may employ.

Around two-thirds of current smokers would like to quit, but only 30–40% actually make an attempt to quit in a given year.

Around half of smokers will die from a smoking-related disease.

Most smokers wouldn't part with their money given these odds, but they are gambling with their health and their lives every time they light up.

So the premise of this poster is about taking a gamble.

To order this poster or see more anti-smoking posters,
please give us a call on 01530 456 000

We also produce posters on other health issues including:

• Healthy diet and weight management
• Hygiene and germs
• Occupational health
• Smoking
• Stress 
• General health 

For more information on these, or any of our other products, please
visit our website or call us on 01530 456 000 

Work-related stress: Five things every employer should know

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Experts say we all need some pressure at work. It can be a positive and motivating force – even exciting with the thrill of the deadline and the camaraderie of the team. But if the pressure becomes excessive, that's when stress can creep in.

So what are the five things every employer should know?

1. The scale of the problem
Around half a million UK workers say they have suffered from some form of work-related stress. The estimated cost to Great Britain is £530 million and around 14 million lost working days each year.

The problem is widespread and appears to be growing. The HSE reports that the number of people suffering from work-related stress has more than doubled since 1990. (Source)

2. The causes of work-related stress
Stress manifests itself in different ways and is not attributable to a single cause as it often depends on the person. They may feel:

• overwhelmed by the demands of their job;
• stifled by having no control over the way they work;
• isolated and without enough support or information;
• uninformed about upcoming changes;
• unsettled if their role and responsibilities are not clearly defined; or
• intimdated or humiliated by bullying behaviour.

3. How work-related stress can affect your employees

In the short-term stress can cause feelings of anxiety and negativity coupled with poor memory and confusion.

Repeated exposure to stress over a longer period may result in physical symptoms, such as headaches, increased blood pressure/heart rate, muscle tension and upset stomachs.

In the long term these symptoms can become worse and even develop into more serious conditions such as depression, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Rather than seeking help from their employer or GP, those experiencing stress often resort to smoking, drinking or comfort eating, which puts an even bigger strain on their health.

4. How work-related stress can affect your business
For starters, employees under stress may exhibit poor performance at work. They may be less productive and more prone to making mistakes. Over time this may start to impact on your quality, service or customers.

Research shows that groups of employees under stress are more prone to disputes, grievances and general unrest.

More worryingly, stress can cause disturbed sleep, which can be very dangerous, especially if the employee is a driver or operates heavy machinery.

According to Bupa, work-related stress is one of the main causes of sick leave in the UK, with one in six working adults claiming to have suffered from it. Empoyees off sick causes extra stress and pressure for those employees who are left to pick up the slack.

Rather than seeking help from their employer, the employee may just decide to look for another job. This could mean that the time, effort and expense taken to recruit and train the person could all go to waste.

5. How you can tackle work-related stress

Educate your employees 
Explain the difference between positive pressure and negative stress. Make sure they are aware of the symptoms i.e. what is normal and what they should be concerned about.

Encourage them to talk to someone
In the first instance they should talk to a supervisor or manager about the problem. This is a vital first step in getting to the root of the issue and resolving it.

Give practical advice
Are they approaching the task in the best way and with the right attitude? Are they overcomplicating a task or making extra work for themselves? Would they benefit from further training? Are they taking care of their health (getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, keeping hydrated etc)

Kodiak's motivational poster programme regularly covers stress and the issues surrounding it to educate and advise your employees.

To find out more about how Kodiak's posters can help you manage stress in your workplace, please contact us.

For daily tips on dealing with common workplace issues, why not follow us on Twitter.

If you would like to find out how Kodiak posters 
can help your business work smoother, smarter 
and safer, please call us on: 01530 456 000 
or email us.

Smoking: The cost to your business

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Updated October 2014

Let's be honest, we all know that smoking is bad for us. Research from Cancer Research UK shows that around half of all smokers die from smoking-related diseases.

There are warnings on cigarette packets, smoking bans in public spaces, posters in our doctors' surgeries and cautionary tales on TV. Yet, according to Cancer Research UK, more than 10 million adults in Britain still smoke cigarettes.

Statistics from Patient UK, show that every year in the UK, smoking:

• is responsible for around 100,000 deaths;
• is directly linked to 80% of lung cancer cases;
• is linked to cancers of the mouth, nose, throat, larynx, oesophagus, pancreas, bladder, cervix, blood and kidneys; 
• is directly linked to 80% of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); and
• accounts for around one in six deaths from heart disease.

While smoking may be a personal choice, it doesn't just affect the smoker. If you employ smokers it has an impact on your business too.

In the UK, it is estimated that around 34 million working days are lost due to smoking-related sick leave every year.

This absenteeism can adversely affect the productivity of your business. It can also increase pressure on other employees, who may be covering the absence in addition to performing their own duties. This is why Kodiak's workplace posters cover smoking on a regular basis.

We understand that the motivation to quit smoking is different for different people, so we vary the content of our anti-smoking posters. Sometimes we look at the health issues – the positives of giving up and the negatives of continuing to smoke. Sometimes we focus on the finances and how much smoking costs. And sometimes we look at the impact smoking has on loved ones.

Our database contains more than 10,000 original poster designs covering smoking and a variety of other health issues.

If you would like to find out more about the anti-smoking posters we have available, please contact us.

For daily tips on dealing with common workplace issues, why not follow us on Twitter.

If you would like to find out how Kodiak posters 
can help your business work smoother, smarter 
and safer, please call us on: 01530 456 000 
or email us.