Other staffs endless cigarette breaks. AIBU?

[ChrisTrepidation]

Quite a number of the small staff team where I work are smokers. In fact we probably have more smokers than none smokers. I don't smoke.

The smokers are in the habit of stepping out for a cigarette break on a very regular basis. I worked a shift with smoker staff yesterday and they were going outside for five minute breaks approximately every half hour!

I don't begrudge anybody taking a break but AIBU to be starting to get annoyed at all the extra off the floor time the smokers are gaining? If I took a break every half hour it would be considered very odd but the smokers just get away with it.

I'm considering raising the issue with my line manager. Would I be in the right to do so?

@Bellaboo01 accepted or excepted?

This is too much. One break per morning/afternoon is fine, but not every half hour. And they should not be all going out together. One at a time so the floor is covered and you can get your break too.

I'm surprised people can still afford to smoke! But otherwise yanbu, smoking is just an excuse for slacking, I bet it's mostly just them checking their social media. As others have mentioned you'll get not thanks, and just grief, for bringing it up so def start taking a coffee break at least a couple of times a day!

Off I got pulled up for coming back after lunch a minute late, yet others were taking dozens of unofficial five minute breaks, I'd be a bit peeved.

I took up smoking.

My grammar is awful (i am dyslectic for a start) unfortunately but, I'm sure everyone knows what i mean and gets the gist. No need to be spiteful.

My grammar is awful (i am dyslectic for a start) unfortunately but, I'm sure everyone knows what i mean and gets the gist. No need to be spiteful.

She doesnt have too - she could go to the bathroom, eat, strech her legs, make a personal call, play angry birds etc... or whatever she would do in a 5 minute break.

What she cant do is just complain they are allowed 'x' when she has never asked for, tried, wants or been warned against 'x'... they arent getting special treatment until she is told shes not allowed the same which she probably is allowed.

You cant complain until theres something to compain about.

This happened in one of my old work places. People were taking up smoking to get the extra breaks. It was ridiculous. The way I see it is if you were addicted to crisps or fizzy drinks or social media, you don't get a break to go eat crisps, drink fizzy drinks or go on social media, so why are they being awarded for having an addiction to nicotine!

In the end I said nothing but did start joining them. If you don't want to join them then I would say something. It isn't fair.

Yep if you were addicted to Candy Crush Saga or whatever you wouldn’t get five minutes off per hour to play it.

I had a manager that used to do this and then complain he never had a lunch break. I finally said 'are you joking?' You've been outside five times already, I'm pretty sure that adds up to more than your supposed to have anyway.
He never moaned again and was actually taken into the meeting room and spoken to about it.
Some might see it as petty but I'd raise it with managers. Why should they get extra breaks just because they choose to smoke? I bet they take their entitled breaks too.

I'm a smoker. I take the same amount of breaks as my non smoking colleagues and wouldn't dream of doing different, it's selfish and spiteful.
Wait for them to come back and then take a break yourself, time them, if they're gone 7 minutes make sure you are too. Get a coffee, take a short walk, whatever you want. If you're pulled up on it just explain you're taking the same amount of breaks as everyone else.
Ours have set breaks times, and for this reason, I agree with it.

I used to work in a place like this, about half of them smokers, all working at least an hour a day less than me. I started to go out for 'fresh air breaks', usually when they came back, spent the same time outside as they did, walked up and down the seafront/nipped to shop/read a book etc. I couldn't bring myself to speak to the boss as she was a smoker too and I was the most recent employee.
I think if I were in that situation now I am older and more confident, I would do as suggested above and speak to boss, asking for the equivalent time off eg Friday afternoon/Monday morning etc. I'd be interested to know what they say!

No one's telling the OP to go and stand next to them like a tin of sardines.

Step outside (the big open outside) when they walk out. Stand across the road. Go back in when they do.

If you get told off OP that no one's on the shop floor, explain that you're not the only one stepping outside with the smoking sardines and then hopefully management will have cottoned on and will pull the smokers up on their frequent breaks. If you can't beat them, join them.

The thing is I wouldn't want to get "fresh air breaks", particularly when it's cold out. I'd rather just have the time knocked off.

Same issue where I work. It’s 8 minutes every 45 min on average. Which is taking the piss massively.

If all the smokers are definitely getting 5 mins every half hour and as a PP worked out, an hour every 8 hours (I can't do the maths right now.)you could suggest you leave an hour early each day to get your time back, or even better ask for a paid day off every 8 days (is that right?)

Doubt that will go down well and breaks will soon stop!

Go and have a coffee or an air break for 5 mins every 30 mins

Love him 🤣

They're taking the absolute piss, and wouldn't be doing so if they worked for me.

Add up that amount of time over a year. Report them.

I smoke as do a few others at our place 80/20 split (less probably). I go at 10, 1 (lunch) and 3. I start 15 mins earlier to cover the ‘breaks).
We’d never get away with every 30 mins! Plus that’s a lot of fags every day! My limit is 8 a day.

I'm a smoker and you're right this isn't fair. I have 3 cigarettes a day in work. Sometimes 2. Sometimes I have a patch on and don't have any. My 2/3 cigarettes don't impact anyone elses work load but theirs does. I don't know what the best way to go about this would be though.

YANBU they're taking the piss. They are probably upping their smoking for more breaks too. They are increasing their cancer risk but that's not your problem. Complain to management and say it should be equal breaks for all.

Yep if you were addicted to Candy Crush Saga or whatever you wouldn’t get five minutes off per hour to play it
mmh actually, very often I have had colleagues taking regular long breaks to the loo and highly suspected they were sometimes just sat there reading/playing on their phone.
(I would never have complained though!)

What's the actual problem though?

I had one job where I was left to do all the cleaning because lazy staff slinked off - this bothered me.

I had another job where some just plain slacked to the max while I worked my butt off but their lack of work never had an impact on my workload. - this didn't bother me.

If your issue is 'they have something I don't' I think you need to chill out and stop obsessing over what others have.

And if you want a break every half hour and think this is reasonable then ask for it. It's not.

The fact they get it is unfair yes but really how does it affect you aside from making you bitter? (which you can choose not to feel)