Phone giant BT is to ban its workers from smoking in all offices and even vans from next month, in a move which could set new standards across British industry.
The company is introducing the ban more than a year before new legislation comes into force in England, Wales and Northern Ireland outlawing smoking in pubs and other buildings.
The ban will be introduced on Sunday, March 26 when anti-smoking legislation takes effect in Scotland.
From that date BT's 100,000 employees across the world, including 85,000 in the UK will not be allowed to smoke on company premises or in vans bearing the BT logo. Designated smoking rooms will be closed and converted to offices, store rooms or put to other use.
Staff will also be discouraged from having a cigarette outside BT buildings.
The decision has been warmly welcomed by anti-smoking groups and they have urged other companies to follow suit.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article