Nursery staffs vaping in their uniform

[Ayakamika]

I’m a first time mum who doesn’t vape or smoke, so I am unsure if I am just overreacting or what….

On multiple occasions, I saw some members of staff at my 1.5 yo’s nursery sitting on the pavement on their street while vaping, and doing so in full uniform without any outerwear. I raised this issue to the nursery manager earlier this year, who replied “staffs are entitled to use their break time as they wish” and “there’s a difference between vaping and smoking”? She promised that all staffs are required to change their uniform if they have to vape, that didn’t happen from what I saw… not to mention the dirts that sticks to their trousers while sitting on pavement, which contradicts their no shoes policy?

AIBU to complain about this again?
what should I do next? Any advice appreciated

Thanks for the reply. To me personally it’s not about the look at all, they are just chilling and vaping with their fellow colleagues in the good weather, which everyone is entitled to. The lack of public space around the nursery is really hard for the staff, which I completely understand.

its just that they are wearing the same set of clothes back at work, and handle a group of under 2 yo babies who require body contact all the time and are still developing their immune system, this worries me.

They will likely have a very small number of breaks, so I wouldn't see this as the same as relatives etc. vaping then seeing to a toddler.

True! Fair point!

Theres a saying that we, as adults know just by looking at something how it will taste without licking it. I never got it really until I had to tell my youngest to stop licking the bus shelter. It's some sort of muscle memory or something.

Kids do more gross things that outweigh some clinging strawberry smell from a vape. If the kids are happy and well treated, I wouldn't risk moving them. You can always change her clothes when she gets in if you're worried.

I understand why you might be concerned OP, but there is really nothing you can do and if you complain again you might find that you are given notice and need to find alternative childcare.

If you drive your baby anywhere you are putting them at much more risk than "third hand vape".

Mind your own business. It’s the staff members unpaid break, they can do what they want within reason.

A nursery local to me was reported to Ofsted for staff vaping and it was taken very seriously. Initially vaping was seen as not as harmful as cigarettes but there wasn't enough research at the time as vaping is still fairly new. A lot of childcare settings don't allow smoking or vaping on the premises. If the staff member was right outside the nursery vaping in her uniform I don't think that is very professional of her, although obviously not illegal.

Yes it does, when ds vaped all his clothes had a sickly sweet mango smell, so glad he's stopped as it was awful.

We don't know if it's a thing - vapes haven't been around for long enough for us to know whether it's actually safe.

😂😂😂😂😂 honestly this is ridiculous. I cannot believe the entitlement and sensitivity of some mothers these days. (I am one myself)

I might not be clear in the original post, this is more about health and safety, i.e. thirdhand smoke aka chemical residue left on their uniform that could pass onto their clients, our babies under 2….

This is NOT about entitlement and it is indeed our business as parents….

thanks for reading

Many doctors and nurses vape, are you going to question if they’ve done so before treating your child? To be honest, you have no control over what staff do in their breaks. If they were told not to do it in their uniform they would just sneak away and do it. Let’s face it, they don’t get many breaks and are severely underpaid!

My DS once asked 'why do the windows taste different today?'.

This indicated that not only had DS licked the windows but that he had done it before, possibly several times.

The answer as to why was that DH had cleaned the windows.

At least vape is designed for human consumption, I'm nor sure Windolene is.

(DS is now 27 and a fully functioning adult).

Hard for any hospital NHS staff to sneak away, most hospitals I've been to don't allow smoking /vaping anywhere near the building.

Ah yes, the simple nursery workers, so easily entertained by sitting on the floor in their free clothes.

🙄

An awful lot of people are pretty good at sneaking a vape in. I have friends who work in hospitals and they have a sneaky vape in the loos!

There is plenty of research about the risk of smoking around babies and children. I was under the impression that there were far less chemicals involved with vaping, but I would be quite interested to see evidence you could link to OP, regarding risk to children and use of vapes.

Who on earth sits on a pavement over the age of 12?

How common. That would annoy me more than the vaping.

GeorginaM
Presumably it’s because the nursery don’t allow vaping on the premises. Nicotine is highly addictive, I’m sure the staff would prefer to sit in comfort and privacy, but it’s not allowed now.

This. We can’t smoke or vape in uniform at our nursery and we certainly don’t get free trousers that we don’t care about 🤣

You need to accept that the nursery staff are not your employees. The nursery cannot duxtate that they don't vape not can they dictate that they don't sit on the floor. You need to use another type of childcare.

Also if you think about it it is highly likely that the staff would have been vaping before they arrived at work in any event.

🙄

Your English is excellent, especially considering it's not your first language 👍