to be annoyed at those who have cigarette breaks every hour?

[Naime]

I'm sat working my arse off in my horrible air conditioned office. I would love to go outside every hour for 10/15 mins to get some fresh air, but I simply wouldn't get away with saying 'I'm going for a walk, see you in 10!'

AIBU to think that people should smoke on their own time? I have people in my office who literally must spend close to 1.5/2 hours outside having cigarette breaks between 8 and 5. It's just accepted that it's fine for people to be paid to have a cigarette and be paid for it, but if I wanted to take a mental break outside for 10 mins every hour I would be pulled up on it.

Hmmph...

Sorry about any grammar/spelling mistakes/repetition! Typing quickly...

It sounds like poor management if they're allowed out that often and for that long.

Still, from what I read on MN, a lot of people spend a lot of time eating at work, so I doubt they're any more productive during those minutes to be fair.

I once told my old boss I was a chocoholic and I would be accompanying the smokers outside for a bar.
Did it for a week!!
Smokers should have to clock out for one imo.

Most companies now take it from unpaid breaks , my dh gets 1 hour unpaid lunch , he vapes so takes 2x 15mins one morning and one afternoon and 30mins for lunch if that is not happening where you work then complain as its not fair

Cigarette breaks come out of (unpaid) lunch breaks where I work, or some people work an extra 15 mins at the start or end of the day.

Go along then!

I don't smoke anymore (whilst sober) but I used to - and I most definitely still go along on cigarette breaks.

It's never been down time for me but always work chat - very often with senior executives who would otherwise have been unavailable for 5 minutes with me. I've negotiated sales, promotions and strategic decisions over a cup of coffee and a smoke. Hence the reason why I continue to tag along. You don't have to smoke to do the smoke break.

As a manager, I highly encourage the habit (not smoking as such, but the 5-10 minutes of flat hierarchy discussion and the results thereof).

Maybe it is my work place. Some people just get up and go for smoking breaks every hour or so. I'm 24 weeks pregnant so can't even go and join them (not that I would want to anyway!).

At 24 weeks pregnant, I feel like I would genuinely benefit from a quick 5/10 minute walk every so often and it would keep me healthier and make me more productive. Eyes would roll if I just wandered off whenever I fancied.

Anyone else it's fine! I'm in the kitchen taking a long time to make a cup of tea currently in protest as it's just not fair...

We can take fag breaks whenever it’s quiet at work but it’s definitely not an office environment.

I encourage all the non-smokers in the team to feel very welcome to take a few minutes outside as well. It’s only fair.

@DilianaDilemma as a pregnant lady with asthma I sadly can't join for cigarette breaks, as I would seriously consider it otherwise.

Yep...

I took up smoking without the actual smoking when I was pregnant... Every hour on the hour I would go and sit outside for 5 minutes with a cold water.

NO ONE every questioned me...in fact a few more also 'took up' smoking as well:)

Quite often there were more non smokers on a 'fag break' than actual smokers :)

But why are you telling us instead of your manager?

If you think you'd benefit from regular breaks, tell them and if they say no, remind them the smokers get breaks.

It's a fair point, so why not just make it?

Doesn't seem right. We get exactly the same breaks whether we smoke or not, I vape but I just do so on my usual breaks

I used to take hourly smoking breaks but it came out of my lunch. Plus I was faster and more productive than my other colleagues.
I think everyone should have a break from their computer hourly.
It's a really unhealthy lifestyle.

At 24 weeks pregnant, I feel like I would genuinely benefit from a quick 5/10 minute walk every so often

Have you asked your line manager if this is something that could be accommodated? It sounds very reasonable if you're sitting in a chair all day which may be less comfortable than normal as your shape changed. As a LM, I would just record breaks like this as an adjustment to accommodate your pregnancy; in the same way some people have periodic breaks for, e.g. chronic back pain.

@WorraLiberty because it doesn't change the fact that some people in my office are here for 2 hours unpaid whilst people like me who actually work really hard don't. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking as many breaks as them even if it would be beneficial. Whether I would be allowed to go outside to take a break doesn't change that I think it's wrong that people get paid to smoke.

I have cig breaks instead of my dinner break and whenever I take one I ask my non smoking office mate to come for a walk.

I get out of my chair to make a cup of tea, or to pee every 30 minutes, or to walk to the other side of the office instead of sending an email. I work it in to my working day. I never let anyone else make a brew for me and always go with to make my own. I just make sure I'm on my feet and work it in to my every day stuff...

In all fairness, it probably depends on the job, too.

I'm a manager in professional services and it's been years since anyone took an interest in when, how and why I take a break. I wouldn't dream of checking on my employees' break habits either (acute performance concerns maybe excluded). But then we don't clock in or out either - we basically manage our own work time and, so long as we manage not to raise multiple red flags, no questions tend to be asked. I expect even my most junior employees to have this down after two months.

I suppose in a more stingently controlled environment it might be an issue. In that case, yes, I'd agree that equal treatment would have to be ensured.

The team here who are on the phone/pc all day get a paid 5 minute break every hour they work whether they smoke or not, although I noticed when I was looking after the team last week that the smokers/vapers tend to have the 5 minutes every hour but the non smokers have 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon.

Why not just speak to your manager? You may find you are actually entitled to a paid 5 minute break anyway

When oh when will people be rewarded for output rather than time spent in the office?

a lot of people spend a lot of time eating at work, so I doubt they're any more productive during those minutes to be fair.

What are you eating that’s so complicated? I always ate at my desk, skipped lunch breaks and went home early every day to the of my coworkers who somehow couldn’t manage to get through their work . They would bitch about it but my managers loved me (and I loved my extra hour of sunshine).

People don't get paid to snack either, but it doesn't stop them doing it.

Honestly, if you feel you'd like an hourly break just tell your LM.

@DilianaDilemma I can't really go in to what I do re my job but it is desk based police work, extremely high risk stuff. Paid by the public, and can't imagine they'd be too happy either knowing they're paying for people's fag breaks.

Maybe IABU though, I'm open to being told that.

We are allowed regular screen breaks. The smokers use their break for smoking and some of us have a leg stretch around the car park.

I have no issue with people taking breaks. I just think 15 minutes every hour is excessive. It's a quarter of your working day.

Also, I snack. But I do it at my desk whilst working. I don't know anyone who snacks away from their desk.

Yeah but you can't answer the phone with a mouth full of food, or type while you're fingers are putting food in your mouth.

I think the problem here (from what I'm reading) is that you don't want to do anything to change your own situation, you'd rather change everyone else's.