To think smoking in the workplace and during working hours should be banned?

[Floogal]

Am I alone in thinking that smoking in the workplace and during work time should be outlawed totally in the UK?

1. The health aspect. People may be smoking outside but it still seeps in and we're still inhaling it.
2. The fact smokers get extra breaks. (Beautifully illustrated by that episode of Family Guy).
3. The social and professional cliques that smokers seem to form. Worse when managers or supervisors smoke (beautifully illustrated by that episode of Friends)
4. Doesn't look good on the company if employees are smoking outside. Looks very bad on NHS or council etc when their staff are doing it

Agreed

You want to outlaw something because it makes a company look bad?

Shall we make scruffy uniforms and bad service a criminal offence also..?

And they stink when they come back in.

I think what you’re proposing is fair enough. It’s anti social and selfish. When l run shifts at work people can take fag breaks but they come off their lunch breaks. Why should smokers get free breaks and no one else. It’s like me going, just popping outside for my Chardonnay break. Back in 10!

We had some appliances delivered today and one or both of the delivery guys stunk of cigarette smoke. The smell doesn’t bother me so much but my mum would be kicking off. I quite like it if it’s combined with certain smells e.g. chlorine -clearly a flashback to swimming trips in the 80’s!

Don't be silly.

Yabu, due to the fact I am a smoker

When I stopped smoking for a while though, I could for the first time actually smell the smoke and to be fair it does smell rank.

I hate smoking, but I think you’re being petty and mean spirited.

@NorthSouthcatlady

It is up to companies to police how many breaks their staff take

It’s not ‘fair enough’ to make it illegal. It is absolutely insane!

And basing a law on someone smelling bad when making deliveries?! You actually think that’s a good idea?

And no, not a smoker, have never been a smoker but this has to be some of the maddest shit I’ve read on here in a long time

I smoke, I smoke out the way, I take off my uniform top and wear a coat then spray, wash hands and have a mint. And before anyone says "you can still smell it" I've known people for years who had no idea I smoked until they've actually seen me or I've said I'm going for one.

It's not illegal, it's unlikely to be harmful to you unless you're standing with the smokes, certainly no worse than traffic fumes on the high street. I find it more offensive when people have terrible breath or bad body odour, or eat stinking food around me

Smokers shouldn't get extra breaks but that's down to the manager to police, not you. Complain to your HR department but the principal of banning doing something perfectly legal on a work break is ott

1. It's a personal choice, it doesn't affect anyone else where I work.
2. We don't get extra breaks, we're given the choice of either a 30 min lunch break or being able to pop out a few times a shift for a cigarette.
3. Every single person where I work smokes. It's not a problem.
4. Customers can't see us smoking, it's in an enclosed outdoor area.

Fine, provided that making tea/coffee/food etc is all also banned outside of pre-determined breaks

I'm an ex smoker who now vapes (and so whilst WFH can do so without leaving my desk and stopping working) so I may be biased, but don't see why you think you can police what other people do, providing they are doing their job

We don’t get extra breaks (half the time we don’t get our actual breaks either), we have to walk off of the grounds to smoke and we get changed to go on break. Is this okay with you?

I think many smokers only smoke in their breaks.
I'd agree it's not fair to get extra breaks.

I’m not in favour of giving employers any more license to ban things.

"Outlawed"? No. That is utterly nuts.

I don't smoke.

I haven't smoked for years but this thread made me really fancy a fag.

Ex smoker and now almost evangelical non smoker and I think many people here are missing the point.

If people are smoking on their breaks. The same breaks that everyone else gets then that's OK. You cannot police what people do when they are not being paid.

However smokers taking extra smoking breaks I take issue with as their non smoking colleagues don't usually get the same and this can add up to a substantial amount of time over a week/ month

And how is this new law supposed to be enforced..?

If the police see someone having a fag in their garden, they need to investigate whether this person is wfh and therefore breaking the law?

Or if someone is having a fag outside a building, the police need to stop them and interrogate them as to whether they are staff or a visitor?

What about smoking while you walk to the sandwich shop on your lunch break? Technically you’re working - is that still illegal?

Absolutely fucking bat shit idea 😂😂

@JagerPlease

Fine, provided that making tea/coffee/food etc is all also banned outside of pre-determined breaks

I'm an ex smoker who now vapes (and so whilst WFH can do so without leaving my desk and stopping working) so I may be biased, but don't see why you think you can police what other people do, providing they are doing their job

@JagerPlease Difference is, when people make hot drinks, they usually tend to make them for others. IME anyway. Otherwise, yes, that is as bad as skulking off for a fag.

Whilst I agree with some of your points, I don't think it should be outlawed.

Employers should have policies for staff regarding smoking in the workplace.

I'd stop going somewhere if the staff stank of smoke and I can't imagine I'm the only one.

I'd rather have a rule enforced that you have to shower before going into an office 😂

Yes, I think it should be banned, on the basis of excessive breaks alone. Not nice to be picking up the phone for someone who is out smoking 2-4 times in a working day.

I don’t smoke but during the summer I went and sat outside for 5 minutes to chat to a resident and I was told off by management. Yet smokers can go for numerous cig breaks throughout the day and also get their full lunch break entitlement