should smokers get time off from work to help them give up

[zippitippitoes]

...guidelines suggest they should

apparently smokers take 8 more days off each year because they smoke

time off would be to attend clinics to stop smokinghere

i stopped smoking without taking time off work

jesus, what next

stopping smoking ws actually quite easy, dunno what all the fuss is about

Not unless I can have time off to go to the gym cos I need to lose weight! Ridiculous notion - why can't clinics be run after work?

No

no..unless rules then apply for all addicts..eg smokers, drinkers, recreational drug takers, fod addicts etc

Hmm, yes, why can't clinics be run at different times of the day to ensure anyone can manage to arrange a slot out of their working hours?

Yeah, some more flexible hours for clinics would be a FAR better solution.

DH couldn't go to them because they were all during day time hours when he had the children.

For me, quitting a pack a day habit was easy because when I got pregnant I was horribly ill from the get-go.

But DH appears to have a very strong physical addiction.

France is passing a law allowing people to sleep during the day. Said Cosmo.

I think we have to rethink the way our services are delivered in general. So for instance, how many times does someone take off work to wait for:

A delivery man
Pick up a package from the post office that couldn't be delivered and needs signing for
Repair man

The service industry has got this right. Supermarkets and shops realise that by opening later they give a chance for the rest of society to go and spend their money after work. There is no reason why a choice of times could not be an option. except for the narrow minded thinking of policy makers and management.

If Tesco can deliver my groceries at 10pm, why can't other so-called 'service' providers follow suit.

It is really difficult for small employers to cover for sickness absence - covering for addiction absence is just not feasible, it puts an unfair burden on colleagues, especially on the owner/manager who usually gets to cover any absence if no-one else can do it.

not getting time off to go to the clinic is just another excuse for not "being able" to stop imo

just friggin stop. clinic or no clinic. a clinic cant help you unless you want to stop. and then its easy anyway

Ridiculous. Smokers get enough time off work nipping off for fags.

And I am one. Though cutting down!

I also note that businesses will be expected to provide time off with pay for these courses.

What about all the time they already spend standing outside smoking?

The rest of us work all day but they must spend about an hour each on fag breaks!

They should be paid less

Actually... forget that last comment... I've just realised that if loads of people give up smoking they'll live longer and my pension scheme will be in a worse state than it is now!

You're joking, Bubble? Talk about nanny state gone mad. That's discriminatory against us non smokers who don't get time off with pay for anything

Should people also get off work when on a diet? How about to get a manicure so they can stop biting their nails? Where would it end?

agree with naily

just stop putting the damn things in your mouths you whinging jessies

worked for me

lol!

One of my friends who likes to smoke when she's out was complaining that it was the nanny state infringing her human rights by banning smoking!!!

What about my human rights not to choke, have itchy, watery eyes and come home stinking like a bloody ashtray?!

Roll on 1st July!!

No! I don't even think they should be allowd fag breaks in between normal breaks. I think why should smokers get 5/10 mins extra break for a fag whilst the non smokers don't. I am sooooo looking forward to July 1st!

smoking in enclosed public places is already banned here in Wales

I will be very happy when either me or dp or both can come home from the pub without having to wash all our clothes because we stink of fags! The smell of smoke on my clothes is discusting!!

smoking been banned here since last year and what a difference it has made. Why should smokers get extra time off? god this country drives me nuts

Its funny when smokers say 'we won't go to the pub then if we can't smoke, we'll stay home'. I say fine stay at home and us non smokers can actually enjoy an evening out without a)breathing in your second hand smoke and b)coming home stinking of your second hand smoke!

Yes, so true that an evening out can be spoilt by loads of smoke/stinky clothes/not being able to breathe etc.

They can have time off work to go to clinic when I get time off work to buy shoes!

I have to say I was pmsl the other day: I was out walking the dog in the rain, as you do, and walked passed a couple of sad eejits standing outside the local, shoulders hunched against the rain, pint in one hand and ciggie in the other .