# Smoker’s CTC Calculator – Cost to Company of Smoke Breaks

URL: https://speedycalculator.com/calculators/finance/smokers-ctc/
Last updated: 2026-10-25

> The smoker's cost-to-company calculator estimates how much paid working time smoke breaks take and what that costs an employer per day, month and year – plus what the smoker spends on cigarettes.

## Inputs

- Average smoke break (min)
- Smoke breaks per day
- Hourly wage
- Working hours per day
- Working days per week
- Holidays per year
- Cigarettes per day
- Cigarettes per pack
- Price per pack

## Results

- Working days per year
- Hours smoking per year (paid)
- Cost per day
- Cost per month
- Cost to the employer per year
- Share of working time
- Cigarette spending per year

## Formula

```
Paid time smoking per day = breaks × minutes per break
Cost per year = hours smoking × hourly wage × working days
Cigarette cost per year = packs per day × pack price × 365
```

## Explanation

Several studies estimate that smoke breaks cost employers thousands of dollars per smoking employee each year in lost working time, on top of higher health costs. The same numbers make a strong case for the smoker's own savings from quitting.

### How to use the Smoker's CTC Calculator – Cost to Company of Smoke Breaks

- **Average smoke break**
- **Smoke breaks per day**
- **Hourly wage**
- **Working hours per day**
- **Working days per week**
- **Holidays per year**
- **Cigarettes per day**
- **Cigarettes per pack**
- **Price per pack**

Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.

### How it works

Enter the length and number of smoke breaks, the hourly wage, working days, and the cigarettes smoked per day and pack price.

### Tips

- Use figures for the same period (a month, a quarter or a year) for every input so ratios compare like with like.
- Track the metric over time – the trend usually tells you more than a single value.
- Compare your result with industry benchmarks, which vary a lot between sectors.
- Treat the result as a starting point for a decision, then check the assumptions behind each input.

### Common mistakes to avoid

- Mixing monthly and yearly numbers in the same calculation.
- Using revenue where the formula needs profit (or the other way round).
- Forgetting hidden costs such as taxes, fees, overheads or your own time.

### Inputs explained

FieldWhat to enterAverage smoke breakIn minSmoke breaks per dayA numberHourly wageAmount in your currencyWorking hours per dayA numberWorking days per weekA numberHolidays per yearA numberCigarettes per dayA numberCigarettes per packA numberPrice per packAmount in your currency

### What each result means

- **Working days per year** = [Working days per week]×52 - [Holidays per year]
- **Hours smoking per year (paid)** = [Smoke breaks per day]×[Average smoke break]÷60×[Working days per year]
- **Cost per day** = [Smoke breaks per day]×[Average smoke break]÷60×[Hourly wage]
- **Cost per month** = [Cost per day]×[Working days per year]÷12
- **Cost to the employer per year** = [Cost per day]×[Working days per year]
- **Share of working time** = [Smoke breaks per day]×[Average smoke break]÷60÷[Working hours per day]×100
- **Cigarette spending per year** = [Cigarettes per day]÷[Cigarettes per pack]×[Price per pack]×365.25

### Example values

How the main result changes when **Average smoke break** changes and everything else stays at the example values above:

Average smoke break (min)Cost to the employer per year7.52,343.7511.253,515.63154,687.518.755,859.3822.57,031.25309,375

## Worked example

Inputs — Average smoke break: 15 min; Smoke breaks per day: 3; Hourly wage: $25; Working hours per day: 8; Working days per week: 5; Holidays per year: 10; Cigarettes per day: 15; Cigarettes per pack: 20; Price per pack: $9.

Results — Working days per year = 250; Hours smoking per year (paid) = 188; Cost per day = $18.75; Cost per month = $390.63; **Cost to the employer per year = $4,687.50**; Share of working time = 9.38 %; Cigarette spending per year = $2,465.44.

## FAQ

**How much do smoke breaks cost employers?**
Often $2,000–4,000 a year per smoking employee in lost time alone.

**Are smoke breaks legal?**
Most countries don't require them; they come out of regular break time or are allowed by policy.

**How much does a smoker spend on cigarettes?**
A pack a day at $9 is over $3,000 a year.

**What formula does the Smoker's CTC Calculator – Cost to Company of Smoke Breaks use?**
Paid time smoking per day = breaks × minutes per break.