Employee Handbook

Section 8 — Safety and Wellness

The Iowa Smoke Free Air Act and the City Code prohibits Smoking and Tobacco use in specific areas, both public and private. The City of West Des Moines is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all employees and the general public. Toward that end, Smoking and Tobacco use restrictions have been established consistent with the Act, City policy, and City Code.

Both the general public and City employees are prohibited from using any Tobacco products inside any City Facility, City-owned vehicle, and/or within any City Park and shall comply with the regulations imposed by the Iowa Smoke Free Air Act and City Code. All City Facilities and City parks shall be posted consistent with this Act and City Code. If members of the general public are observed to be in violation of the Tobacco restrictions, they should be courteously advised of the City Tobacco policy and/or tobacco-free parks ordinance and asked to extinguish any Smoking device or remove any Tobacco product.

City employees are allowed to smoke and use Tobacco products in the employee’s Personal Vehicle while on City property with the exception of City parks. City parks are entirely tobacco-free. Normal meal and break periods remain unchanged and employees are not authorized to take additional time away from work for the purpose of a “smoke break”.

All City employees shall be allowed to smoke or use Tobacco products in any area not prohibited by the Iowa Smoke Free Air Act, City Code, or this policy.

Any City employee found to be in violation of the prohibitions established by the Iowa Smoke Free Air Act, City Code, or this policy shall be subject to the employee discipline procedures.  See Section 3.7, Progressive Discipline.