Should smokers clock in and clock off?

[longfingernails]

Thought I would get away from the usual Labour/Tory arguments, and pick a no less contentious, but non-partisan subject to argue about instead!

A council is making their smokers clock in and clock off when they take breaks - they say the employees themselves, including the smokers, want this.

Is it a good way to ensure equity amongst staff, or just pointless bureaucracy?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315651/Council-forces-smoking-staff-clock-puff-work-non-smokers.html

Yeah he's just 'targeted' the smokers, whatever that is supposed to mean

Where i work (public sector), we have had to clock off for cigarette breaks for years. Not for toilet/coffee/breakfast/whatever breaks tho.

To most smokers, this is unfair. To most non-smokers it is fair. Not sure why that particular break was selected for clocking out...

probaby because it's crossing the line from reasonable into unreasonable.

No employer would mind their staff having a coffee, nipping to the loo, having 5 minutes natter about their holiday...

it's quite something else when you are paying for someone who spends what adds up to a significant amount of time, out back!

It's taking the piss.

I say that as a sshhh secret smoker and as a former employer.

So I can see both sides. I know how it feels when you really need a fag. but I know how much it pisses you off when bob isn't at his desk AGAIN because he's outside being puffing billy!

People around me spend far more time yapping about non-work related stuff than those who go for a smoke. Many years ago, there were smoking rooms and a lot of work got done in them as they were much quieter than the (open plan) office.

I think people can take advantage of anything - i don't think smokers are somehow worse.

P.S. i'm not taking advantage of work time to post here - i'm on a day off

No, it's bandwagon jumping really.
Why single that particular break out? Oh yes, because smoking is a moral lapse, and we all hate those.

It's just some jumped up little busybody on their personal high horse. It'll be loo breaks next (gather that's already an issue in call centres, poor sods). And no talking in the office.

I used to get all the inside information on my firm when I went outside for fag breaks - was jolly useful networking inc. with the chief executive. You could probably get it past HR if you started talking about informal networks and relationship development.

but isn't having a coffee, nipping to the loo, having 5 minutes natter about their holiday......

also adding up to quite a lot of time not working???

I bet the non-smokers never sit and count the minutes their nonsmoking colleauges spend not doing work

edam - I have heard that it's an issue (loo breaks) in some supermarkets too.

I think they should build a communal toilet block for smokers, so they could combine their fag break with a shit.

PMSL Quint

I thought the toilet break stuff was illegal - human rights, or something?

MaMo - i completely agree, no-one thinks twice about people taking half an hour to get breakfast and have a yap. It does seem to be very one-sided.

i think to be fair, that yes we all gab, maybe take extra for the bacon butty run, nip to shop, have a 30 min shit, talk shit whilst standing at the coffee machine

but smokers - i am one - also get smoke breaks.

i think there should either be a policy that non smokers can also have two 10 min breaks or smokers take the time from their dinner hour ( or in my case 30 mins) then i eat at my desk whilst working

As Peter said, smokers do all of those things AND take smoking breaks.

but then there are going to be some non-smokers in th eoffice who

don't gab
don't take extra for the butty run
don't nip to the shop
don't have a 30 minutes shit etc etc etc

Why should the ones who take less time over their "breaks" sit and watch the ones who do all of the above regularly be happy about that?

When I was working I would never have dreamt of just going for a fag break - I'd have made a coffee, nipped to the loo and gone for a fag.

Frequently being back working again before my colleagues who were still stood talking shit at the coffee machine (well kettle in our case).

There are always going to be workers (smokers and non-smokers) - who take the p*ss when it comes to breaks. Why single out the smokers - some of who may take the piss - others may not.

MaMo - i was just typing the exact same post

smokers clock in and out for limited, scheduled cig breaks in my office and have done for at least 10 years

stops the smokers feeling guilty and the non-smokers feeling put out

what's the big deal?

you see as a smoker I'd be put out by people taking their time doing the butty run - as I don't eat breakfast/bacon butty's in the morning.

Well I would be put out if I had to clock in and out for my 5 minute fag break

I am a smoker and can't see the problem.

So, if you were a bacon-butty eater, would you think it fair to clock out for the breakfast run?

You see I'd be ok - as I could say I was going for a wee and go for a fag instead - I would probably only go twice in a working day so no-one would bat an eyelid while I had 2 or 3 more "loo breaks"

mama,

your post converted me - you are right

thankfully DS3 doesn't make me clock in and out - and if he did I'd get away with this one as he's fallen asleep

I used to work in a place where you had to clock in and out - for breaks (whether coffee/fags) and lunch too. fair enough.