smoking/smelling colleage

[baritonehome]

I have a newish colleage who has an hourly smoker's break outside the office in a designated smoking area.

We share a desk. When she comes back to her desk, she stinks. I cannot stand the smell of cigarettes and having to sit next to her when she is oozing the old stale smell of cigarettes (which is always there to some extend) really bothers me. it is absolutely disgusting. yuk.

WIBU to ask my employer to ask my employer to stop her smoking during working hours? Is there a legal basis did it?

our office is air conditioned so I cannot even open the window. speaking to her won't help, I tried that. She is addicted.

Yes Julie, it is. Hopefully the OP will come back and realise from the replies she doesn't have to just tolerate this and has grounds to challenge it.

I'm surprised so many people are saying YABU OP, I don't think you are.
The smell of smoke turns my stomach.
At my place of work it's made clear to any new members of staff that no smoke breaks are allowed - if they want to have one on their dinner then that's fine but there'll be no break before or after that, which I don't think is unreasonable (we work set hours though, so no-one would be able to make up the time).
If she's agreed with the manager then I'm not sure anything can be done... I feel sorry for you though!

Hate the smell of smoke as it affects my breathing, but it's my problem.
She's not lighting up around you ( which would be even worse) so I think yabu.
If she wants to smoke during breaks she's entitled too.
I do have sympathy though!

What's this special air freshener??

Could you swing telling your manager it’s aggravating your asthma, op? Worth a go?

Even if she agreed breaks with a manager this was before the manager became aware that it's affecting another staff member. The fact breaks were agreed is no excuse not to approach the manager to change this, as it's new info they didn't have when they allowed the breaks. There will be a solution to this (moving desks seems most likely) but it's gonna require a bit of assertiveness to achieve.

I'm surprised the coworker hasn't willingly reduced or stopped it herself if she's aware it's harming OP. If she isn't aware then fair enough. As a smoker it's hard to recognise how much it stinks, grosses out or harms bystanders as you're so used to the damage you're doing to yourself and the intense smell and breath any effects on others seem to pale in comparison.

I feel for you.. there is nothing worse that the smell off someone who has just choked down a cigarette. I have a colleague who does this before any meeting and in s small office space it's nauseating.
The rest of the office wish it wasn't allowed but what can you do.

Start making comments?

"Oh, wow, that's some stink!"
"Gee, I knew you were there without looking, because of the smell."
"You sure are a bit of a challenge for the air conditioning!"
"Have you ever thought of vaping? It's a lot less stinky."

Yanbu. I would ask to move and say you are unable to work next to her. If they say you can't then maybe they could come up with an alternative.

YANBU, I couldnt sit beside her.

@LemonShark

Op literally says:

I told her that I am pretty sensitive to the smell of smoke and asked if she can limit smoking to home/after work

So she has asked her not to smoke at work which she is not permitted to do. It's got nothing to do with trying to appear 'understanding of addiction'.

Fair comment sayyouwill, it had been a while since I read the OP when I posted that!

So she's approached the coworker to no avail, now it's time to approach management formally. OP has no standing to actually enforce a solution so she's got no option but to approach management and from a health perspective.

I wonder how clear she was to the coworker it's intolerable, or if she just politely mentioned it once and the coworker thinks that a spray of body spray has solved it? Either way it's time for management and they'll be glad to see you already tried to resolve it first before asking them to step in.

Oh 100%.
I am an ex smoker and my DH smokes still. I hate it when he comes in from having a cig but he washes his hands and brushes his teeth. IMO it's the least he can do. We have a very strict no smoking in the house or car and outside coats come off when he comes back in.
I'll admit I still smoke if DS is staying at the grandparents because we're having a night out or something (few and far between) so the rules all apply to me too.

The management need to step in because personal hygiene should be addressed and it sounds like she is not being hygienic if the smell is that strong

YANBU

I smoke. If I am having meetings for work I won’t smoke for at least 2-3 hours beforehand, chew gum, wash hands and generally would be outside so wearing a jacket that I remove when going back indoors. It’s being considerate of other people I think. I don’t smoke right outside the entrance of buildings or the doors of pubs.

The smell of smoke is bad! I don’t smoke inside my house or car.

The extra breaks thing is a genuine issue though if no one else smoke and she is getting extra time off.

Lol after reading That back I think maybe I’m ready to give up!

Every time she comes back in spray the area with air freshener or a strong perfume.

I've worked in companies Which have personal hygiene standards in their contract check yours as this would fail them

I asked for a seat move for this exact reason - this colleague no longer works with us and I would not be surprised if this is the same person. We are a pretty small open plan office and she made the whole place stink - the difference now that she isn't there is amazing. However there were seats available for me to move to so it wasn't too obvious and I said to her that the air con was hurting my eyes. I wouldn't have wanted to hurt her feelings.

To be fair to her, she makes up for her time by taking a shorter lunch break. So do I. In my defense, I also take a v short lunch break, 10 mins instead of an hour, and have 4 cigarettes in 8 hours. Immediately after I smoke I wash my hands, chew gum, and apply hand cream... also the cigarettes I smoke are v light so probably don't stink as bad as strong ones and I have extremely good body hygiene (showering twice a day, good deodorant, good perfume and clothes go in the washing machine after being worn once). I also don't smoke in the house except the odd cig in the kitchen at the window, my home gets fresh air everyday (windows all open the whole time we're at work even at winter)

I assume it's not only the smoking but bad hygiene and stinky home with regards to your colleague. I would feel offended if someone complained about my smoke breaks if I take a short lunch break, make up for the time etc, but what your colleague does is rude. She could use mints/gum and..... shower.