Civil Engineering Giant Dempsey Wood, signed a pledge this morning - committing to a smoke-free workplace by 2025. Collaborating with the team at ready Steady Quit, this pledge will contribute towards the Government's goal of being a smokefree nation and having 5% fewer New Zealanders smoking also by 2025.
Founding Director Conal Dempsey says their company have approximately 400 workers, a little less than a quarter of them are regular smokers. Being a former smoker himself, Dempsey testified of the importance of this pledge and the effects it has beyond the workplace.
“We are future-proofing our workforce - we will have staff better off - we will be better aligned to the health and safety laws. We will be saving lives.”
Machine operator at Dempsey Wood for six years, Penny Tuhoro (Tainui) quit 2 years and 4 months ago under Mike Pocklington and his team at “Ready, Steady, Quit” - so she is sure to be one of the leading examples amongst the group of 95 smokers at the company.
“There was a group of us that started so having the support form each other was also a key, and having our regular visits form Mike - and after 38 years, I have been smoke-free for 2 years and 4 months.”
Pocklington acknowledges that although this may be the first partnership they have made with a large company in this industry, it won’t be the last.
“It will be the first of many, we are really excited about what this is offering us and look at replicating this across a number of companies hopefully,” he says.