smoking breaks at work - how long and do employers have to allow them?

[mckenzie]

I'm asking this on my DH's behalf as one of his employees is getting (he thinks) a tad cheeky with his smoking breaks.
Are there any rules re what an employee is allowed to take if the office has a no smoking policy? What, from either perspective, would you consider to be a suitable time for a break and a suitable amount of breaks allowed per day?

thanks for any info/thoughts.

I know this sounds funny but.... How many times a day do other non smokers make them selves a coffee?

At the company I worked at they had a no smoking policy and set coffee breaks (no drinking/ eating at desks allowed) and it was a case of drink or smoke - not both.

However, I think its resonable to say one 5 min break in the morning and another in the afternoon. He can have as many as he wants at lunch...

I have recently introduce a new policy into my office as up until a few weeks ago all employees were non smokers but now we ahve 2 smokers.

I have therefore introduced 2 5 minute breaks in the moring and 2 in the afternoon - therefore the people who do not smoke get a fair break as well!
I found that the smokers were taking the piss with me being lenient and letting them have one whenever they fancied but then it wasn't fair on the non smokers who got no breaks.

In my office smokers are allowed 5 minutes in the mornig and 5 in the afternoon. It's good for everyone to take a 5-minute break, not only smokers! I think you quickly notice who "takes the piss" with their smoking breaks and these people should of course be told.

They don't worry about things like that here - in Holland they smoke all the time (apparently) so are mega leanient - even have a smoking room in our office across the road!!

We don't have such rules. In my office I would say, on average, each smoker goes once in the morning and once in the afternoon for about 25 minutes each time. They take a cup of coffee and 2 fags each. I've always thought this is disgraceful and felt that if they can do that and get away with it then the non-smokers should have some kind of lounge they can go to for breaks. I think the suggestion of set breaks for everyone is a good idea.

In our organisation, smokers are supposed to make up the time they spend on smoking breaks by working after normal finishing time - not a rule that is actually enforced!

In our place the smokers go for about 10 mins or so every hour or so. But then, aren't you meant to have break from your pc every hour or so? There is really very little work I can without my pc so don't feel remotely bothered about smokers getting away from the desk. Just wish I had a 'legitimate' reason to slink off. Would hate to work in an office with imposed breaks.

I used to get really brassed off with the smokers in my office who all used to troop off to the boss's office for a cig and a natter (taking at least 30 minutes) whilst we non-smokers were left to man the office and got frowned upon if we so much as looked at solitaire on the computer as our non-existent 'break'.

I think if smoking breaks were unpaid they would be a lot shorter. Ideally there would be a 15 minute break for all, both mid morning and mid afternoon, but would everyone want to work a full 30 minutes later to catch up?

What I really hated were the individuals who used to sneak off to the loo for a crafty one because I then came out stinking when I'd been to spend a penny.

Why should nicotine addicts get a smoking break? I'm addicted to shopping but I never got a shopping break from work...

I don't see why smokers should think they are entitled to smoke while they should be working (I used to smoke when I worked but only at lunch!) They also take their lunch and THEN have a fag break! I did meet someone once and we were talking about this, he said "I don't smoke but I make damn sure I take my fag breaks!"

As far as I am aware they are not entitled to take any break other than the statutory 20 mins if working 8 hours or more. Most firms of course don't enforce this legal minimum. I would personally say that the same amount of time it takes for a toilet break/make a cup of coffee is adequate. Anything more is unfair on non smokers.

God my boss takes a fag break for about 10 mins every 50mins to an hour!! Actually, I like it cos it's my Mumsnet time!! I think it's great to have a smoke free office but think non smokers do get a poor deal. If I added up all the time he takes!!! Jems that's a perfect solution - can I come and work for you???????

I know of one company (not in the UK though) which gave non-smokers extra holiday to compensate for the time the smokers took off!