Smoking breaks at work

[fraggle500]

If you smoke... do you think you are entitled to extra cigarette breaks ( not part of your allocated break times)?

I have colleagues who smoke. Their smoke breaks (additional to regular breaks) don't bother me; I'm really glad I don't have to go and stand with them in the grotty fire exit overlooking a dual carriageway. I just do fuck all while they're out there 😁

I've noticed it's not usually the management that are bothered, it's coworkers. What happened to sticking up for each other? A little solidarity?
What next? Complaints about people taking too long on the toilet? Or using the office phone to call home when working late? Or stopping for a chat round the watercooler? Or the person who has dental appointments during core hours?
It's output that matters. Not input.

@Lemony indeed, but in this particular conversation we are discussing smoking. I was trying to combat the 'its an addiction, they are allowed to have extra breaks' arguement before it started. Yes, that one has been wheeled out at my workplace.

@fraggle anything is possible

@Disquieted1

Agreed! So back-stabby.

Smokers have an addiction that makes them smell, costs a fortune and may well kill them.

Why begrudge them the actual pleasure?

Either join them or stop complaining. Look to your own plate.

@dis quieted1 - I agree , if you have a work load to manage and still complete your objectives- however some jobs require you to be present and if you're not, someone else has to pick up the slack.

Meh. Doesn't bother me in my workplace. None of us are scrutinised for taking 5-10 minutes to get a coffee, so I view smoke breaks the same way (and I'm a non smoker, and think it's an awful habit). It's quite refreshing to work in an environment which doesn't require staff to justify, with a full dissertation, every moment spent not working.

When I worked in retail I had a manager who used to go out for 15 minutes every hour for a cigarette. (In the week it was just me and her in) Seemed very excessive. Also suddenly needed a cigarette when anyone with a complaint came in.

I don't like them and don't allow them.

It isn't a couple of minutes here and there, it's the time it takes to get to the smoking hut, the time it takes to smoke and chat to whoever else is there, time to get back to work, (hopefully) wash their hands and the ramp back up.

Comparatively, everyone uses the toilet and where I work everyone gets a drink from the kitchen.

LemonysSnicket
What about the hundreds of thousands of people addicted to prescription medication?
Choice?

I work for a local authority and we clock in and out because we can't be trusted (not a joke). The smokers just clock out for breaks so they are using their own time for them. It's still a bit annoying when people delay meetings or pop out every hour for a fag but there you go - that's why none of us can be trusted...

All interesting replies... btw I don't really mind ( off the record) however I think you have to be fair to the whole team- do what you will in your own breaks but don't take extra unauthorised time out of working hours or get a job that allows more flexibility if going for cigarette breaks is a deal breaker

A guy in my office takes at least 6 x 10 minute fag breaks every day spent smoking. This is in addition to tea/coffee and lunch breaks. That’s an hour a day! The most galling bit is when he nips out for a fag for 10 mins then comes back in to clock out! I think he’s taking the piss.

Smokers where I work do take quite long breaks, mostly because they're exchanging all the office gossip. We have to pounce on our department's smoker on her return for a debrief.

Smokers at our place just take a break when they feel like it ( as long as they are not in a meeting or conference or anything) It's not a big deal. Non smokers sometimes join them or will just say that they are having 10 minutes down time. In fact they don't need to tell anyone, we manage our own time.

I smoke but I don't sit on the internet or the phone for ages to my mum, dad, husband , friends...go and make breakfast and lunch, chat to colleagues for hours at a time...yes my three five minute breaks are fifteen minutes but I am entitled to that and don't think I take the piss. It is just smoking is frowned upon but other crap is overlooked.

I’ve always not taken specific lunch and tea breaks and just smoked when I wanted to and eaten lunch on the hoof.
Other people in my workplace do take the piss, as such, but I really couldn’t give less of a shit.
They’ll lose out, ultimately.

Smokers in our work take the piss.

They have a "quick" smoke before breakfast, after breakfast, mid morning, before lunch, after lunch, mid afternoon and just before packing up for home time. 7 x 10-15 mins a day is a lot of time out of the working day. If they had their heads down working the rest of the day it wouldn't be so bad, but they chat around the water coolers, use theirs phones, and have appointments during working hours just as much as everyone else. It's got nothing to do with solidarity and more about a group of people using a poor excuse for being selfish and slacking off while others work..

There should be a policy to say smoking during breaks only.

Not entitled but when I was a smoker years ago I used to take smoke breaks, so did others. It was quite a sociable thing, meeting people from other departments whom I would never have encountered if I hadn't smoked.

Can't remember anyone complaining but more people did smoke then.

I have a friend who works at a large national organisation, if you smoke you take your fag ash breaks, if you don't smoke you get an extra three days holidays a year.

Seems fair to me.

Take comfort in the fact that smokers will die earlier and be less of a burden on the NHS whilst contributing more in tax.

I am hoping that I will die earlier and not get dementia and be a burden on my family.

@lovemany
I like that idea

YANBU. I’m an occasional vaper/ex smoker and don’t agree with smoke breaks. A few employees will use it as an excuse to slack off at work, even when they don’t have to clock out and technically get paid for it. I live near factories and every time I walk down the road there are the same group of workers huddled on the pavement smoking and chatting. It’s all at too random times of the day so too much of a coincidence for them to be on their breaks every time I go by. Amazes me anything ever gets done there or in any workplace with lots of smokers. Not fair on the exhausted non-smokers either IMO

@duchess
It's not a smoking bashing tread - if people choose to smoke or not - I really don't care -the question was should you have extra breaks at work
I'm trying to see both sides

Where I work we're treated like adults and anyone can have as many breaks as they like as long as they do their work and are present when they need to be. We are also trusted to work from home if we want to. It's the most productive working environment I've ever working and no-one spends home scrutinizing others working hours.