Two laws coming into force on Nov. 1 in Oklahoma affect and clarify existing laws governing tobacco use in the workplace.
New 21 Okla. Stat. § 1247 prohibits lighted tobacco products in any form in indoor workplaces. It does allow employers to establish smoking rooms that are fully enclosed and exhausted directly to the outside, provided no work is performed in those rooms.
Another statue clarifies discrimination against tobacco users, whether employees or job applicants. While it remains illegal to discriminate against anyone because of tobacco use, the law clears the way for rewarding employees who quit smoking as part of a workplace wellness program. The only provision is that the wellness program is operated in conjunction with company health insurance.