Tackling Tobacco and Supari Use in FMCG: How Can We Ensure Fair Policies for All?

Hi Seniors, I am working in an FMCG manufacturing firm. Can anyone help me out with how I should get rid of such practices that I have mentioned in my topic? Almost every supervisor and a few laborers in our company have a habit of chewing tobacco and supari (kharra). Since we are manufacturing food products, it is not advised to follow such bad habits.

Serious actions are taken against the laborers, such as deduction of some amount from their salary as a penalty. However, no action is taken against the supervisors. I would be glad if someone could help me with this.

Although this post seems old, I hope you might have found the answer or solution. If not, then first of all, you need to convince your top management about this. If they are with you, then you can issue a very strict memo and connect this point to the performance appraisal. The memo should also be signed by the Managing Director of the company. Additionally, try to arrange a camp or invite an NGO that can educate people about the harmful effects of eating tobacco.

One thing to keep in mind is that you can't eradicate this issue at once; it will take time as it's a habit. You can also designate an area where these people can eat tobacco.

Let me know if all of this does not work.

I too faced the same problem in my firm. As we were not able to control it, we thought of stopping it inside the shop floor. We had a checkpoint by the security to check the workers for it, and a poster highlighting "No Entry for Tobacco Products" was placed in many points on the shop floor. It yielded good results. Instead of penalizing the employees, you can try controlling its entry inside the floor. You can also implement policies regarding the same. Hope this helps you.

Regards,
Subha.