Breaks for smoking at work

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  • ValentineValentine Posts: 3,841
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    Are you at work now and using company time to post here at DS?

    Loads of other members do so you wouldn't be the only one.

    No, I'm on leave this afternoon (mentioned it ealier)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 25,366
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    welwynrose wrote: »
    what about going to the toilet or making a cup of tea

    Well, legislation kinda forces businesses to make reasonable efforts to provide staff welfare facilities, of which smoking isn't an activity covered by this....so it would therefore seem wholly reasonable that if an employer is expected to provide toilets, kitchens, etc., that they let their staff use them (within reason, of course!).
  • ValentineValentine Posts: 3,841
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    Valentine, how would you feel is somebody was clocking you every time you used the loo or made a coffee, or spent time chatting ?

    As I've already said, the only reason I notice is because she sits next to me. if she didn't, then I might well not notice because I'm not that interested in what other people are up to.
  • rupert_pupkinrupert_pupkin Posts: 3,975
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    I asked you on page 1 are you worried about how this is affecting the company or are you jealous that they get to go outside for 10 minutes and you don't? Does it make your life harder or does it not affect you in any way?
  • Hugh JboobsHugh Jboobs Posts: 15,316
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    welwynrose wrote: »
    what about going to the toilet or making a cup of tea

    Going to the toilet is an essential bodily function which I wouldn't deny anyone. As is quenching one's thirst. I don't see smoking the same way.
  • ACUACU Posts: 9,104
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    Going to the toilet is an essential bodily function which I wouldn't deny anyone. As is quenching one's thirst. I don't see smoking the same way.

    So in your eyes, someone taking a 10min coffee break every 2 hrs is ok. But a smoker taking a 5 min break every 2 hrs isnt? Nice logic you go there. :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 53,142
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    yes, in one of my work's they all go..well one goes then they all follow and sit in one's car,, come back in the building and on one washes their hands afterwards :o
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 25,366
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    ACU wrote: »
    So in your eyes, someone taking a 10min coffee break every 2 hrs is ok. But a smoker taking a 5 min break every 2 hrs isnt? Nice logic you go there. :D

    Do people actually have "coffee breaks" these days? Sure, I make a tea or coffee, but then return to my desk to drink it. I suppose coffee breaks are more prevalent in manual handling type jobs.
  • What name??What name?? Posts: 26,623
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    Valentine wrote: »
    Not really, that's pretty impossible, I don't have time to be that interested in what she - or anyone else does. The only reason I notice, is that this person sits next to me, so when she puts on her coat to go outside then I can't help but see.

    But if she didn't put her coat on and just wandered away for a coffee or chat as non-smokers do you wouldn't be bothered?
  • ValentineValentine Posts: 3,841
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    But if she didn't put her coat on and just wandered away for a coffee or chat as non-smokers do you wouldn't be bothered?


    So smokers don't do those things as well as, they they not?! We don't have coffee breaks in my office, you get a drink from the machine and bring it back to your desk (which takes no time). So the only time a smoker is away from their desk, by your logic, is when they go for a cigarette? The rest of the day they are chained to the desk, not once going to the loo, the kitchen or to speak to a colleague? I think you'll find they do.
  • ACUACU Posts: 9,104
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    Gilbertoo wrote: »
    Do people actually have "coffee breaks" these days? Sure, I make a tea or coffee, but then return to my desk to drink it. I suppose coffee breaks are more prevalent in manual handling type jobs.

    Maybe not in the traditional sense. What I meant is you go to the kitchen to make a coffee, meet someone else and have a 10 min chat about the weekend/kids/sports event etc. Then come back to your desk to drink their tea/coffee/etc.
  • Pull2OpenPull2Open Posts: 15,138
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    ACU wrote: »
    So in your eyes, someone taking a 10min coffee break every 2 hrs is ok. But a smoker taking a 5 min break every 2 hrs isnt? Nice logic you go there. :D

    I have worked for a lot of organisations with a lot of rules and regs and in all that time there is one thing I have learned. There is no such thing as a five minute smoke break every two hours! Put on out of office assistant (or equivalent), pick up cigs, put on coat leave office, walk to the smoking area (normally outside and well away from the working area), light cigarette, chat to other smokers, smoke cigarette, chat to other smokers just turning up, walk back to work area, take off coat, walk back to work area. 10 mins on a good day and is more often than not, once an hour.
  • DianaFireDianaFire Posts: 12,711
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    Pull2Open wrote: »
    I have worked for a lot of organisations with a lot of rules and regs and in all that time there is one thing I have learned. There is no such thing as a five minute smoke break every two hours! Put on out of office assistant (or equivalent), pick up cigs, put on coat leave office, walk to the smoking area (normally outside and well away from the working area), light cigarette, chat to other smokers, smoke cigarette, chat to other smokers just turning up, walk back to work area, take off coat, walk back to work area. 10 mins on a good day and is more often than not, once an hour.

    I've never worked anywhere where that happened. I've only known one bloke ever put on his coat. No one smokes once an hour, either, and with the dwindling number of smokers there's seldom any chatting going on. You go, you smoke, you come back - hopefully with a solution to whatever problem you've been working on. It's a 5-minute round trip as long as the lift is working.
  • Vodka_DrinkaVodka_Drinka Posts: 28,740
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    I've worked with people like this in the past and it is annoying when they pop out every hour or so to have a ****. It's not fair and the time should be taken off their breaks.
  • rbdcayrbdcay Posts: 12,041
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    Oh for the days when you could smoke at your desk and didn't have to go outside. Then you would have the moaning minnie going out about how they hate the smell. If smokers were allowed to smoke inside again then they wouldn't have to take these "breaks" as you call them.

    As a smoker when I take my break I am usually five mins. I don't see my going out for a **** as a social occasion just something I need to do. I don't take the piss ( I should say I only have a cigarette 2 times a day during work and my other breaks during my lunch and I get an hour so I spend 10 mins out of the day of normal working hours having that "break") as seemingly done by this colleague and in my office the tea drinkers manage to make tea a high social occasion and have to stop everything and chat for 10 mins asking who wants tea blah blah. I don't drink tea at work so don't partake.

    But back to my original supposition, it would have knock these breaks on the head if we could smoke inside but there will always be some one person who has a complaint with what another person done. As a few have said on here if the work is getting done then that's fine by me,

    Also no one seems to have heard of the recommendations by occupational health studies etc that people should take at least five minutes away from the computer screen every 2 hours I think it is.

    Oh well at least those of us on this thread have jobs to worry about what other people are doing.
  • LakieLadyLakieLady Posts: 19,713
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    Si_Crewe wrote: »
    I'd bet that non-smokers spend just as long swinging the lead at work as the average smoker spends on their breaks.

    Quite! There are people at my office who seem to spend half their lives chatting. Some spend inordinate amounts of time surfing the net or on the phone to their kids and partners. Other people get on with their work and always have their heads down grafting.

    People work at different paces. Some people will work in energetic bursts and others just plod along. As long as they're getting through the stuff they need to do, I don't really see that it matters. If they're not, then it's a matter for their line manager.

    I'm out and about, so it doesn't really affect me, but where I work there are no smoking breaks. Staff are only allowed to go out for a **** in their lunch breaks. When tis rule came in, some of the smokers said it wasn't fair and that frontline staff should be banned from smoking in their own cars during working hours. They were that gutted about it. It's caused no end of resentment between frontline and office based staff.

    Management decided not to go down that route because it was unenforceable, not because it was none of their business what we did in our cars.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 761
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    My boss smokes like a chimney. He stops by my desk at least twice a day and asks me if I want to join him. I'd not call those actual breaks though, since we often discuss business matters during that time.

    Other than that we can split and use our 1 hour break however we like. I usually take a 40 minute lunch break at 12pm and use the other 20 minutes for (usually 4) cigarette breaks during the day.

    Since the boss is The Chimney we have a rather big smoking lounge on our floor. so there is no need to go outside (which would take time).
  • AxtolAxtol Posts: 8,480
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    rbdcay wrote: »
    Oh for the days when you could smoke at your desk and didn't have to go outside. Then you would have the moaning minnie going out about how they hate the smell. If smokers were allowed to smoke inside again then they wouldn't have to take these "breaks" as you call them.

    As a smoker when I take my break I am usually five mins. I don't see my going out for a **** as a social occasion just something I need to do. I don't take the piss ( I should say I only have a cigarette 2 times a day during work and my other breaks during my lunch and I get an hour so I spend 10 mins out of the day of normal working hours having that "break") as seemingly done by this colleague and in my office the tea drinkers manage to make tea a high social occasion and have to stop everything and chat for 10 mins asking who wants tea blah blah. I don't drink tea at work so don't partake.

    But back to my original supposition, it would have knock these breaks on the head if we could smoke inside but there will always be some one person who has a complaint with what another person done. As a few have said on here if the work is getting done then that's fine by me,

    Also no one seems to have heard of the recommendations by occupational health studies etc that people should take at least five minutes away from the computer screen every 2 hours I think it is.

    Oh well at least those of us on this thread have jobs to worry about what other people are doing.

    The problem is though that you are getting all the standard breaks that a non smoker might expect like a break to pee whenever you need but you get additional breaks on top of that just because you smoke and they don't. I couldn't just decide I want an extra 5 minutes of standing about outside but you are allowed to just because you smoke.
  • Bulletguy1Bulletguy1 Posts: 18,429
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    Valentine wrote: »
    Apologies if there have been other threads on this - if there have, I haven't seen them.

    I started a new job late last year, working for a large company. There are very few people here - surprising given the size of the place - who smoke. One of people in my team goes out for a cigarette at least 4 times in the morning and again in the afternoon.
    BIB.....been endless threads on the subject, usually started by anti-smokers on a mission to whip up hatred. You must have been living in a cave if, as you say, you "haven't seen them". Ironic given that you are clocking the daily movements of this worker.


    Valentine wrote: »
    I'd be in favour of scrapping the breaks or allowing them but as unpaid. It is an addiction, after all.
    Of course you would. You don't like people who smoke......period.
  • DianaFireDianaFire Posts: 12,711
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    Axtol wrote: »
    The problem is though that you are getting all the standard breaks that a non smoker might expect like a break to pee whenever you need but you get additional breaks on top of that just because you smoke and they don't. I couldn't just decide I want an extra 5 minutes of standing about outside but you are allowed to just because you smoke.

    Then carry a cigarette outside with you. Sorted.
  • LakieLadyLakieLady Posts: 19,713
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    Kiko H Fan wrote: »
    Why not?

    How many pees and poos do people need in a working day?
    What if they creep in there to onanise?

    Lol.

    I once had a colleague who used to adjourn to the lav at 9.30 every morning, with the "Sporting Life" tucked under his arm. He'd be in there for about half an hour, come out, get a coffee and have a natter with anyone who happened to be about and then go back to his desk, ring his bookie and place that day's bets.

    He also did more work than almost anyone else in the building. When he took early retirement, they had to employ 2 people to do his job.

    Oh, and he chain smoked, but this was in the days when you could smoke at work. He often set fire to his bin though!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 25,366
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    Axtol wrote: »
    The problem is though that you are getting all the standard breaks that a non smoker might expect like a break to pee whenever you need but you get additional breaks on top of that just because you smoke and they don't. I couldn't just decide I want an extra 5 minutes of standing about outside but you are allowed to just because you smoke.

    Are you really bothered by the 10, 15, 20mins a smoker spends outside smoking?
  • wazzyboywazzyboy Posts: 13,346
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    Si_Crewe wrote: »
    Is it having an effect on the person's work?

    I'd bet that non-smokers spend just as long swinging the lead at work as the average smoker spends on their breaks.

    I recall being the only non smoker in a small team, what ended up happening was they discussed work stuff outside on their hourly **** breaks and I was excluded. Often they didn't relay these discussions to me. Meanwhile I carried on with my work, but perhaps I should have started smoking (or going out with them and doing so on a passive basis) so as not to exclude myself from their productive conversations?
  • ACUACU Posts: 9,104
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    Pull2Open wrote: »
    I have worked for a lot of organisations with a lot of rules and regs and in all that time there is one thing I have learned. There is no such thing as a five minute smoke break every two hours! Put on out of office assistant (or equivalent), pick up cigs, put on coat leave office, walk to the smoking area (normally outside and well away from the working area), light cigarette, chat to other smokers, smoke cigarette, chat to other smokers just turning up, walk back to work area, take off coat, walk back to work area. 10 mins on a good day and is more often than not, once an hour.

    The numbers were there to provide an example. I am sure a caffine addict would have more than cup of coffee per 2 hr period.

    And depending on what you did over the weekend, may mean you spend more than 10 mins chatting etc
  • Anya DAnya D Posts: 14,834
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    Ber wrote: »
    Smokers pop out 3-4 times a day for a ciggie. Some others might spend the same amount of time away from their desks chatting to other people, popping over to the shop, others might be at their desk nattering on the phone about non work stuff, or browsing the internet, checking Facebook, etc.
    I don't know what makes people think that some smokers aren't possibly doing some of those things in addition to taking extra breaks to smoke.
    Are we expected to assume that smokers are 100% focused on their job right up to the point they go out to smoke and immediately when they return?
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