Is my husband being unreasonable not to employ a smoker?

[Yowey]

As he is an ex-smoker himself, i feel that it is hypocritical of him.
Adivce would be greatly appreciated.
Yowey.

Kingcantue - not 'horse hoowey' (interesting expression) one based on years of experience.

It depends on the sort of company you work for. If you work for a large, private organisation where staff aren't watched and there's a fair amount of freedom then heavy smokers will be sneaking out every half an hour.

Starlight - there have been many studies done on smokers in the work place and they all show that smokers take far more sick days than non smokers. The most recent one was done by the London School of Economics this year and concluded that smokers cost employers about £2billion pounds a year in sickies and cigarette breaks.

Legally, you're only entitled to a 15 minute break if you work over 4 hours. (I work 4 hour shifts and am not entitled to any breaks! Doesn't stop the smokers slipping out for unofficial fag breaks though)

yes, totally unreasonable. Will it affect the person's ability to do the job?

i miss my fag breaks now i've quit! though i was always in and out quickly. all the best gossip was to be had out there.

surprisingly i can smell it only in the lifts can't smell it on smokers at all.

and how much do the parents taking time off for sick children, the coffee drinkers and the frequent shitters cost?

Oh no - they don't measure that do they as people would be up in arms about a study about those things .

I did have one job where I took a LOT of unscheduled fag breaks.......but that's because I hated the job and was just waiting for them to get rid of me

bye Yowey

I would not employ someone who smokes tbh

Bye Yowey, y'all have fun now

Nancy, it is my fav tounge in cheek phrase, love it!

Bye
Don't be a stranger

What's with Yowey?

FAQ - no I don't think there has been a 'frequent shitters at work' study! Would that be a time and motion study (boom boom)

I bet loads of time is lost to texting now. I would be the world's most miserable employer:

No smoking
no mobile phones
no bowel movements
nobody with kids
nobody under 21
nobody over 50
nobody that lives more than 10 mins away

lol Nancy - would you be left with anyone to employ

howabout no women- after all they get themselves up the duff and demand mat leave don't they?

donnie - yes, you're right: no women....but then men are always in the lav.

In my early 20's i smoked. On my allocated breaks only and had very little sick time. I stayed behind after work on busy days and did all the overtime that was available. Some of those colleagues with children took time off for sick dcs, rushed off bang on time for the school run, did no overtime as they had no child care.

I'm now a non smoker with 2 dcs and erratic child care.

I'd rather employ the old smoking me than the one now!!

I was under the impression the smokers were the one group that you can discriminate against. There is no law that says smokers and non smokers should get equal rights.

there are 3 smokers in our office - we never go out together - and i don't take alunch break. i am not off sick more than anyone else.

my kids sometimes in the past have made things difficult

i really dont see the problem - but i think there is no law - so go ahead discriminate

we used to go outside for a fag just to bitch about the boss

as a ex smoker your dh proably knows this

This is absolute nonsense.

Yowey - if this has made you flounce then you're better off not on MN anyway, this is nothing.

I have been a smoker for 12 years, I haven't had a day off sick in 6 years. Not one day. Have had time off when DS has been ill though.

I don't take a lunch break, instead I take four 15 minute breaks through the day, where I smoke. I simply eat before and after work.

Naturalblonde - yes there is, all people should be treated equally, regardless of their smoking status.

Yes NB, I think that each person has a right not to be discriminated against. That would mean you have to give a business reason for not offering a job, a reason why they are not suitable for the job, saying, because you are a smoker, female, black or anything else that does not actually prevent them doing the job is discrimination and so illegal.

Mind you, I am really impressed if this thread has made someone flounce - light weight

It's probably illegal to descriminate though for those saying "oh but they will take a lot of breaks" you do realise that's a good reason not to employ women?

"oh they are always getting pregnant or PMT or something. They should stay at home where they belong"

btw how many of you are posting on MN from work?

Onagar, I think they were tounge in cheek comments, not serious - unless I have missed something.