Should smokers be deducted pay for smoke breaks?

Barely There · 12-10-2015 01:30PM

speedboatchase wrote: »

If your team met a deadline from working 50% of the time and fapping off the other 50%, I'd suggest that was a pretty weak deadline and/or your team is far too big for the task and being used inefficiently.

I guess most PM's have their own management style.

I tend to focus on the results and stray away from micro-managing my team - It seems to be working just fine.

Perhaps you have your own style that works too.

brevity · 12-10-2015 01:31PM

suicide_circus wrote: »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8534796/Women-take-more-sick-days-than-men.html

Yes but that's irrelevant to this discussion.

Lux23 · 12-10-2015 01:31PM

I used to be a smoker and I only took a smoke break once, it was the day the company announced letting go over half of their staff. Having said that perhaps smokers are more productive when the are at their desk? I probably take a few minutes off every hour to have a nose around the net.

Ted_YNWA · 12-10-2015 01:33PM

speedboatchase wrote:

If you have two designers on the same wage and fairly equal capabilities - for example, a smoker and non-smoker - is it fair that they leave at the same time when one has left their post for maybe 30-40 mins each day, and the other hasn't?

If the smoker is able to get the same level of work done in 40 mins less, I'd be questioning the work ethic of non smoker.

suicide_circus · 12-10-2015 01:34PM

brevity wrote: »

Yes but that's irrelevant to this discussion.

The point of the thread is that the op is suggesting employers adjust people's salary based on the amount of time they are absent from their desk so....my point is entirely relevant thanks.

CosmicSmash · 12-10-2015 01:37PM

rubadub wrote: »

I am a smoker and would think along the same lines as him. He did not say if he smoked or not. You also deleted the end of his quote and added a full stop which now makes it appear like he is contradiciting himself.

I deleted that post because of the deletions that you mentioned. Maybe I'm wrong but the poster couldn't decide, he was annoyed at these breaks that smokers took, yet later in the same post he claimed it didn't bother him. A contradiction of sorts.

brevity · 12-10-2015 01:40PM

suicide_circus wrote: »

The point of the thread is that the op is suggesting employers adjust people's salary based on the amount of time they are absent from their desk so....my point is entirely relevant thanks.

Ya but sick days are something that's built into a contract. An employer could offer 3 sick days for everyone. Or they could say no sick days. Whether they are male or female doesn't matter.

There is nothing like that for smoking.

speedboatchase · 12-10-2015 01:41PM

Ted_YNWA wrote: »

If the smoker is able to get the same level of work done in 40 mins less, I'd be questioning the work ethic of non smoker.

Agree, but I never said anything about the level of work completed; I just mentioned the standard work hours for each worker. If the non-smoker was picking up the slack for the smoker who worked 40 mins less, I'd question the work ethic of the smoker.

somesoldiers · 12-10-2015 01:46PM

Don't the ergonomics gang encourage people to get up and walk about...though probably not smoke.

I used to go for smoke breaks for years, gave up last year but I find myself getting tired in the afternoons where I never did when I was heading outside for some "fresh air"...on the up side I don't stink

J Mysterio · 12-10-2015 01:49PM

'Work ethic' being bandied around here. Utterly ridiculous. As if other employees dont stop for a bit of gossip or stroll over to the water cooler or whatever. And they should too ffs. Take 5 mins every two hours or so. You will have better morale and be more productive.

If your workplace is watching you every second of the day, must be a **** place. You're in there 40 hours a week.

Amazed how vindictive and obsessive people are.

golfball37 · 12-10-2015 02:30PM

I don't take a coffee break and would cut my lunch hour short to make up for my 4-5 smoke breaks a day. People should be flexible on both sides.

Maximus Alexander · 12-10-2015 02:41PM

I'd take more issue with the type of person who is monitoring the movements of their colleagues than the ones who step outside for a few minutes every so often.

But then I've never worked anywhere where I was micromanaged, thank God. The work you do speaks for itself, not where you're standing or sitting at any given moment.

donfers · 12-10-2015 02:59PM

Smokers lack both moral fortitude and any kind of self-respect and thus should not be hired in the first place rendering the OP's query moot.

conorhal · 12-10-2015 03:06PM

donfers wrote: »

Smokers lack both moral fortitude and any kind of self-respect and thus should not be hired in the first place rendering the OP's query moot.

Albert Einstein was a smoker. You need more fiber in your diet.

DamagedTrax · 12-10-2015 03:09PM

if im in charge of the project being worked on, everyone takes 5 minutes every hour to smoke or eat or do whatever (on top of normal breaks). i will point out however this is quite common practice within my industry.

but it comes back on me directly from the client, if we dont meet our deadline.

i find the 5 minutes is well worth the extra effort that gets given back.

anyone that takes the piss stands out like a sore thumb.

RasTa · 12-10-2015 03:12PM

Just take extra toilet breaks when the smoker goes. I do love getting paid for having a ****

duffman3833 · 12-10-2015 03:21PM

RasTa wrote: »

Just take extra toilet breaks when the smoker goes. I do love getting paid for having a ****

read something online that a person will spend 40hrs a year at work been paid to do a number 2 ha, a weeks wages to sit on the can

diomed · 12-10-2015 03:24PM

Needs a poll.
I'm retired. Our workers had to go outside the perimeter fence to smoke, and then come back in through security. It was a good ten minutes.

asherbassad · 12-10-2015 04:21PM

My name is URL wrote: »

This is it. Not allowing people to go for a quick smoke would probably cost a bit in terms of productivity

Still, though. I genuinely don't know of anywhere that exclusively allows smokers take 5 min breaks throughout the day. Anywhere that does allow it also allows non-smokers to take quick breaks at various times for bathroom / canteen visits etc.

I can take a break whenever and for whatever and for however long I want. So can anyone else in the office. Only three guys smoke and go for one whenever they like. The non-smokers go for tea/coffee whenever they want and sit outside or go to the canteen to play pool/foozball.

Everyone works.

hatrickpatrick · 12-10-2015 04:24PM

godtabh wrote: »

Person a, non-fapper

We're not discussing imaginary people in this thread

petes · 12-10-2015 04:27PM

I go for a smoke whenever I want and nothing is said. Can go for a tea/coffee any time also. There are no set breaks apart from lunchtime.

I'll be honest and this doesn't just apply to smokers but if you are sitting at your desk trying to figure something out and it's eluding you a break away from your desk can help.

I've figured out many a solution when I was out having a smoke.

Place I work is pretty decent though.

hatrickpatrick · 12-10-2015 04:27PM

And yes as others have said, breaks are vital to productivity and all around health, so as far as I'm concerned people should take smoke breaks and those who don't smoke should just go for a little walk or whatever when their colleagues have gone for a smoke.

I had to do a mini thesis this year and whereas at first I forced myself to sit at my laptop for three hours (morning to lunch) without a break, I found subsequently that going outside and just walking around the block and back home every 45 minutes or so made the whole experience much calmer and I ended up getting a lot more written, as I'd come back from the walk-breaks full of ideas and excited to start speed-writing them.

I know others who went to the library for the whole day with just one or two breaks and took far longer than I did to get things finished - and moreover, were far more panicky about it on social media and in person than I felt at the time.

Obviously this is just anecdotal, but it's pretty well documented that constant, all-day concentration isn't good for either your health or for the work you're doing.

Elessar · 12-10-2015 06:48PM

It's pretty relaxed where I work. Smokers come and go as they please, actually generally anyone comes and goes as they please. I don't smoke but myself and the mates take circa. 20-30 mins in the morning for a coffee break, about 1.5 hours lunch and again about 20-30 mins in the afternoon for another tea break. The work is getting done so nobody bats an eyelid. There is no clocking-in or clocking-out (seems so outdated now).

Much prefer this to being micromanaged and clockwatched each day.

DamagedTrax · 12-10-2015 06:53PM

Elessar wrote: »

It's pretty relaxed where I work. Smokers come and go as they please, actually generally anyone comes and goes as they please. I don't smoke but myself and the mates take circa. 20-30 mins in the morning for a coffee break, about 1.5 hours lunch and again about 20-30 mins in the afternoon for another tea break. The work is getting done so nobody bats an eyelid. There is no clocking-in or clocking-out (seems so outdated now).

Much prefer this to being micromanaged and clockwatched each day.

our clients are on the project with us at all times. im sure the relaxed atmosphere helps them with what could be potentially tense conflicts. i work with arty types, they get emotional, being able to come and go as anyone pleases definitely helps

moc moc a moc · 12-10-2015 07:36PM

As long as I can get away with hiding in the jacks with a hangover for a couple of hours each Monday I won't begrudge the smokers their breaks.

The Randy Riverbeast · 12-10-2015 11:52PM

Cant imagine a place that closely monitored breaks. Would be driven insane from boredom.

colossus-x · 13-10-2015 12:23AM

Well the type of job your doing would come into it.

I recall when I smoked and worked as a chef smoke brakes were the only brakes I'd get on busy weekend days ! I would have preferred to be allowed to squeeze in a quicky smoke when a slight lull in workload presented itself rather than taking my 1/2 hours lunch brake which I simply couldn't take anyway.

Had smoke break been disallowed as in the above situation I think that would not have done much for morale !

sonic85 · 13-10-2015 12:41AM

My place allows smoke breaks and they shouldnt be allowed. Why is it acceptable for a third or more of the workforce to stroll outside for 10 or 15 minutes to essentially do nothing? If I downed tools while they fcuked off I'd be soon pulled up on it.

I don't have a problem with smoking or smoke breaks per se but if a large chunk of workers are allowed skive off twice or three times a day then everybody should be allowed. Fairs fair.

Suppose it just depends on the company and how lax their rules are

Reiver · 13-10-2015 01:09AM

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

Sure what places give smoke breaks anyway? I have to take them in my lunch hour if at all if I want a cigarette.

The army

old_aussie · 13-10-2015 01:11AM

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I pay the better worker more.

So they still get to have their smoke break?

Better worker has nothing to do with the smoke break.

Should smokers be deducted pay for smoke breaks?

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