using data to drive organizational policy changes: second-hand smoke at the workplace

USING DATA TO DRIVE ORGANIZATIONAL POLICY CHANGES: SECOND-HAND SMOKE

AT THE WORKPLACE

Healthy Worksite Summit Pre-ConferenceLynnwood, WA

October 2, 2013

Doug SpohnWellness Manager

WA State Department of Labor & Industries

akaHOW TO GET EVERYONE HOPEFUL,

SCARED, MAD, AND POLARIZED:59 MONTHS OF MAKING FRIENDS

AND ENEMIESBy:

“Really Doug?”

aka

THE L&I SMOKING STORY:MIRACLES STILL HAPPEN!

By:

“Yay Doug!”

THE MORAL OF THE STORY FIRST . . .

WE CHANGED OUR POLICY ABOUT SECOND-HAND

SMOKE BASED ON DATA WE COLLECTED.

AND IT’S WORKING!

AND IT’S NOT MANDATED BY LAW, BTW.

We are a big ship

“And we are big and slow”

The back-story

• History & Culture• Workforce• Leadership• Unions• Laws• Readiness-to-change

History & culture

• Roots in heavy industry• Construction trades visit a lot!• Lots of visitors use tobacco• Pro-labor environment/pro-labor state laws• Leadership has been change-adverse• Recent laws brought significant changes!

The workforce

Our leadership

• 20 executive leaders at HQ

• 300 supervisors at HQ

• Agency head is very influential

“What does Judy want?”

• New laws have brought energy, excitement, stress & chaos to the lives of leadership

• How to keep our employees productive?

Judy

Our leadership

• 20 executive leaders at HQ

• 300 supervisors at HQ

• Agency head is very influential

“What does Judy want?”

• New laws have brought energy, excitement, stress & chaos to the lives of leadership

• How to keep our employees productive?

We are a union shop

• 4 primary unions• 1 is huge!• Avoid surprising anyone• Pride in union/management relationship

We abide by the law

• Smoking law of 2005 – initiative by the people

• 25 feet from building entrances• But . . .

But . . . smoke is controlled by physics and people seek comfort and

convenience!

• Smokers hover at the 25 foot mark

• Non-smokers walk through smoke to enter the building

• Smoke gets sucked through the doors via air pressure differences

• Wind currents move smoke and smoke will find non-smokers!

L&I’s Readiness-to-Change

• PRE-CONTEMPLATION – before 2007• CONTEMPLATION – 2007 to 2010 (Wellness 360°)• DECISION – April 15, 2012 (survey commissioned)• ACTION – August 1 and September 17, 2012 (the

executive head nod & when the signs went up)

• MAINTENANCE – September 18, 2012 and beyond

NOW, ON WITH THE STORY . . .

Easy as 1, 2, 3?

• First, we gathered data• Second, we showcased our findings• Third, we carried out a decision

Wrangling up some data

Emily

Observational studyEmily’s Secret Mission

• 2 months, October & November 2010• Where is the smoke coming from?• Provided insight into the scope of the

problem

Smoking policy posseBuilding a wave of momentum!

• Internal Safety & Health Committee• Facilities Director• Budget Director• Union Leaders• Executive Leaders• Employees

The Survey!Mission Impossible

• Agency survey committee• Bumps and bruised egos• Union heads-up• Last minute, “Why are we doing this again?”

Judy

The survey: what we wanted to learn

• Email anecdotal data accurate?• Observational study accurate?• If there’s a problem, what’s a solution?• The overall emotional pulse of the

workforce?

We also wanted to learn . . .

• Is anyone planning to quit smoking?• Does anyone want smoking cessation

resources from us?• Do ex-smokers want to help their smoking

colleagues quit tobacco use?

Survey results

• 67% of building occupants completed the survey – 1,132 employees/most were women

• 71% of survey takers believed that establishing designated smoking areas was the best option – other than going 100% smoke-free

• 30 current smokers indicated a desire to quit within the next 12 months

Survey results (continued)

• 15 current smokers requested smoking cessation resources from Wellness 360°

• 90 personal quit-stories were submitted for the purpose of supporting others who want to quit

• 2,000 written comments – many were positive, many were mean-spirited

The main message

• Move second hand smoke away from the building

• Protect the smokers from the wet weather• Make sure the policy is very clear and easy to

understand

The head nod heard ‘round the agency!(and now in Lynnwood)

The head nod heard ‘round the agency!(and now in Lynnwood)

Judy

The head nod heard ‘round the agency!(and now in Lynnwood)

People helping people

• Communication plan• Wellness 360° resources• Personal quit stories• Grace and understanding

The main message

• Move second hand smoke away from the building

• Protect the smokers from the wet weather• Make sure the policy is very clear and easy to

understand

The Power of One

“Thank you Doug. I have enrolled. Time to get healthy for myself and become part of the solution and not part of the problem. I appreciate what the wellness program is trying to achieve and can tell you I am walking more, eating healthier and taking out the vices one at a time. Your program has helped give that extra push to act now, not later, because often never happens.”

Daniel, 2012After receiving smoking cessation resources from Wellness 360°

TimelineFrom data to decision to implementation

DATA: 2007-2010 Email archivingDATA: Oct-Nov 2010 Observational study

2011 Back burner – missed good weather window Nov 2011 Floated change idea with key leaders

Jan 2012 Aligned with Internal Safety & Health CommitteeJan-Apr 2012 Employee survey developmentApr-May 2012 Survey administration

DATA: Jun 2012 Survey analysis & publicationJun-Jul 2012 Executive leadership pitch preparation

DATA: Aug 1, 2012 Facts & proposal pitched to executive leadershipAug 1, 2012 Proposal & plan accepted by executive leadership

DATA: Aug-Sep 2012 Data from multiple sources communicated to employeesSep 17, 2012 New policy implemented

The end of the L&I story(or is it really?)

• Minor adjustments for now• 100% smoke-free future?• Never-ending good will for employees• Huge leverage for Wellness 360°

The Final Lesson:

“Don’t give up the ship”Yes, we are big and slow, but we can change

course. Just give us time and space.

Thank You!

Doug Spohn

Wellness Manager

Dept. of Labor & Industries

Washington State

doug.spohn@lni.wa.gov

360.902.6304