smoking in my workplace

[picklelilly]

hello....

i find myself in the situation where ive started a bar job over a month ago, and after customers have gone home, management and staff (upto 8 of them) are all smoking directly in front of the bar that im still working in (cleaning, stocking up etc), theres other non smokers there aswell, not just me who's fuming about this situation.

when they started doing it i felt physically sick and just wanted to get my bag and leave, and i know i sound a dramatic mare but if i find myself around smokers (which is very rare except in work) my throat becomes really sore like ive got tonsilitis for days afterwards, not mentioning the stentch of cigarettes on my hair and clothes when i get home (having to wash my hair at 5am when i get home isnt ideal as it wakes the kids up).

its a huge company i work for, but the lower end of management are allowing this and not thinking about the law and not showing any consideration to non smoking staff members.

where do i stand ? i know if i complain to higher up management then 8 odd members of staff will get the sack for gross misconduct which i dont want, but at the same time how am i supposed to work in this kind of environment, its the reason i left working in bars in the late 90's.

thanks in advance

[sneezecakesmum]

Its illegal to smoke in the workplace, end of.
I would have a quiet word with the smokers and ask them to go outside. If they refuse say you have no option but to report them. Its up to them if they continue but they are aware there are consequenses.
Say it has set your asthma off which has been dormant for 10 years - it may make them more sympathetic!
I had a job years ago (temp) and for 2 solid weeks I typed invoices for exercise sandals in a small office with 3 heavy smokers - I nearly developed asthma!

[Gotabookaboutit]

Phone the company's HR department for advice - they will probably sort it with a phone call and hopefully little come back on you