Reason #11: Smoking Costs Companies $5,455 Extra Per Smoker Per Year

Everyone wonders why insurance rates continue to go up, and why a lot of companies are either reducing the level of benefits for employees or discontinuing them altogether. Here's a major reason why:

According to this calculator from Free & Clear, the healthy behaviors company, companies pay an additional $5,455 per smoker per year! Needless to say, if you have a small business with 20 employees who smoke, this means you are paying $109,100 per year in excess charges to accommodate smokers. Who suffers because of this? Nonsmokers, because we end up paying higher premiums because the company as a whole has to reduce the amount of benefits while the insurance company increases the annual premiums.

Check out the numbers for yourself with this free calculator from Free & Clear.

Please, if you're still smoking, think about how much money you are wasting per year on cigarettes, how much money you are costing your company and others for benefits and how many years you are subtracting from your life. It ain't worth it! Do yourself and others a favor and quit. You'll feel better. You're friends and family will feel better, and the country as a whole will be much better off.