To think going out for three cigarettes within a hour is seriously taking the piss

[Greenbluestar]

Just back from maternity leave and in need of a moan. It was quiet today but it’s a caring job so physical presence is important. Plus she leaves the sodding door open so smoke drifts into the home.. so annoying

Company policy should change.

No smoking in uniform and no smoking on grounds of care home.

I hate smoking and feel sorry for the care users having their health damaged by their gross habit.

I agree with caranations. The smoking part is irrelevant, she could be on the phone, or going to the toilet, or any other reason. If she's taking 5 minutes each time, she's only working 45 minutes every hour. Only working 3/4 of your shift is not ok. Tell her this. Then report her if it doesn't improve immediately.

Smokers are piss takers when it comes to breaks. Thankfully i only work with one who has her break when she goes to collect the post, for sone reason we have a oneway system at work which means she has to go out of the building and round the perimeter to the Mail room.

I see many cares in their cars smoking, jeez they must stink when visiting the poor clients.

And those girls standing outside the local bakery in their work jumpers, having a well earned fag. Fucking grim.

Keep speaking to the manager. Ask if you're allowed the same breaks to get some fresh air.

I'm genuinely shocked that they are even allowed to smoke at all in the working day given the setting. They will smell of smoke and the be in close contact with vulnerable people who will breath the smoke in off their clothes. Is that really allowed?

Surely nursery staff wouldn't be allowed to do it so why are care home staff allowed?

Many years ago (when smoking was still allowed in pubs!) I worked behind a bar to earn money while I was at Uni. I don't smoke, but the girl I worked with did. She used to continuously take 'fag breaks' (her words not mine!) throughout our shifts. These were often taken with customers, either outside or at the end of the bar, where she would flirt her way through a drink and 'a couple of fags' for 20-30 minutes at a time, leaving me to do all of the work.

I started to add up the time she was spending on these 'breaks' and told the landlord that I didn't think it was fair that she was getting the equivalent of 2 hours worth of 'fag breaks' each shift. He didn't care...told me that I didn't understand as I wasn't a smoker! So I bought a packet of cigarettes and told him that I was going to take my own, equal 'fag breaks' immediately after every one of hers - and I did! I sat at the end of the bar holding a cigarette 🚬 (I didn't smoke it!) This lasted two shifts, after which we were both given one allocated 15 minute break 😆

Smokers often do take the piss with 'fag breaks' I've found...but it pays to stand up for yourself if you are left picking up their slack.

@Brieandcamembert I’ve often thought this. Even if the smoker thoroughly washes their hands after a cigarette they will still smell of smoke when dealing with patients / residents. I sometimes see community carers walking between homes smoking and I think they are going into someone’s home and taking that smell in with them.

I would hate this if I was the patient. Mind you I’ve smelled some horrible perfumes in my time too which are just as offensive. Even worse if mixed with stale tobacco smell.

I wouldn’t be happy if it was my elderly relative she was smoking around.

Does your colleague going trough some stressful personal situation? Asking because smoking is the only thing that kept my sanity and emotions in check at work years ago when I was going trough a very difficult situation and couldn’t afford to take time off work. Agree that leaving the door open so the smoke gets in the home is not on.

@cuno

I've worked in care for years and I've found there's a lot of smokers in this industry, and some of them do take the piss with smoking breaks. I think if it's a slow day sounds like she's just trying to kill the time. But she should close the door and do it in the proper smoking area.

What care home have you worked in where the day is so slow that you can kill time by puffing away outside for a quarter of your shift? In all of the ones I work in they are so short staffed that the ratios of staff to residents are already illegal.

I used work in day nursery’s so very much similar with ratios and being present. Only time you could smoke was on lunch break away from the building. Even then it was recommended you change coat/top and washed hands used mints after.

It’s not like you can get nicotine gum, mints or patch’s if you really really can’t last till your lunch break. Only thing you can do though is do the same soon as she comes back you disappear for 5min in loo, outside. If it’s fair for one it’s fair for the other. Stress or not you can’t do it in care work like that hard enough best of times.

The last home i worked in built an outdoor smoking area for the staff so they could take even longer walking there and back having their numerous fag breaks. One cheeky mare asked why I let the non smokers take an extra 15 mins break during the 12 hr shifts.

As someone whose aunt is paying £1400 a week in a care home where theres never nothing to do I'm fuming! Tell your manager someone phoned to complain but wouldn't leave their name.

I don't smoke but I've always carried a packet of cigs or a vape and taken a "smoking " break at places , were smokes get extra breaks.

@Babadook76

What care home have you worked in where the day is so slow that you can kill time by puffing away outside for a quarter of your shift? In all of the ones I work in they are so short staffed that the ratios of staff to residents are already illegal

I haven't worked in a care home where the day is so slow they can do what the OP is saying! But I have worked with smokers who still take the absolute piss and it's unacceptable. I was just observing that smoking seems commonplace in care homes. I haven't worked anywhere where the ratios are already illegal though

A friend of mine works in care. As you know a very physical job and she's an athlete too, so gets through a lot of calories. She's also (like me) one of those people who doesn't do well when she's hungry. She's told her employer and colleagues that she's having extra food breaks like they have fag breaks.

Is there something similarly important to you?

Where did you work in care that you have the time and enough staff for someone to have 3 fag breaks an hour?!
I'm lucky if I get my legal (not paid) breaks never mind enough time to disappear 3 times in an hour that isn't something to do with caring for a resident or the multitude of other tasks that I need to do in my shifts.
That said, I don't think you can dictate what people do on their breaks when they get them, even if you don't agree with it, especially if they don't get paid for them and when care is short staffed already nationally. Carers don't just exist to provide care for other people.

feel sorry for the care users having their health damaged by their gross habit

If I was old and in a care home I’d be delighted my life was being shortened. In fact I’d probably take up smoking myself.

I work nights in a care home and yes I smoke. Even I don't go out 3 x in an hour for a smoke. May be ever 2-3 hours for 10 mins, other carers get an hours break.

It astonishes me really that it's deemed at all OK to just sod off for a smoke while working! This is no different to signing off your till if you work in a supermarket and nipping outside for a fag, and no-one does that!
I'm an ex smoker and when working I only ever smoked during my designated breaks.
Then when I was self-employed I kept the same discipline and it applied to my staff too.
I also agree with others that it's not really OK to be looking after residents stinking of smoke.