A Smoker? You're Fired!

Tomw86 · 14-02-2019 5:03pm

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

I would agree with that policy. One person in our office smokes and takes between 4-6 smoke breaks a day (not including the one he has after morning tea or lunch time) Each one is between 10-15 minutes long as he also has to go and make a cup of coffee to have with his smoke each time. Now in fairness he's absolutely useless anyway and I doubt banning him from smoking would increase his productivity but it does seem unfair the amount of time he wastes out nattering with the other smokers.

That's extremely excessive and he should be reigned in a bit and told to either cut down on the fag breaks or come in 30mins earlier and leave 30mins later.

Flyingsnowball · 14-02-2019 5:06pm

Gazzmonkey wrote: »

Our company has no policy around smoking... they couldn't care less. So to keep it that way I only take 30 mins for lunch instead of the full hour and my total smoke break time is 15 mins per day to smoke 4 little rollies. So I'm at my desk for 15 mins longer each day than the non smokers.

Been doing this for years now and management have yet to mention smoking to me. I think they realise if they do mention they'll lose that free 15 minutes per day that I give them.

Rediculous addiction really when you think you will go through all his trouble to stop it from being mentioned to you.

Read the Allen Carr book and thank him by recommending the book if you decide to knock the smokes on the head when you finish the book. It’ll only cost you a tenner or so.

topper75 · 14-02-2019 5:08pm

One eyed Jack wrote: »

I expect a policy regarding Meat and Dairy Free Hiring Policy will become quite popular in coming years. The trends definitely do appear to be going that way with employers becoming more and more conscious about the health and welfare of their workforce.

Yeah historically a lot of meat and dairy consumers rarely get to live past their 80s or 90s.

Who wants to hire people like that?

Flyingsnowball · 14-02-2019 5:09pm

topper75 wrote: »

Yeah historically a lot of meat and dairy consumers rarely get to live past their 80s or 90s.

Who wants to hire people like that?

You only have to look at death row statistics to see the majority of people who die from electric chair or lethal injection had meat or diary in their last meal.

Coincidence?

Rubberchikken · 14-02-2019 5:12pm

i work with a high % of smokers. not one myself.
personally dont care if they go out for their break and never come back, it doesnt affect me.
but it does effect productivity/being there doing the job theyre paid to do. but thats management's problem.

im very anti smoking. absolutely cannot abide it. and thats the truth.

ShooterSF · 14-02-2019 5:17pm

Think all employers are getting more conscious about things like that. My boss has asked me to keep to one or two beers on shift these days.

Flyingsnowball · 14-02-2019 5:18pm

ShooterSF wrote: »

Think all employers are getting more conscious about things like that. My boss has asked me to keep to one or two beers on shift these days.

I hope you informed the union about this. That’s orwellian.

ShooterSF · 14-02-2019 5:20pm

Flyingsnowball wrote: »

I hope you informed the union about this. That’s orwellian.

Bartenders tend not to have unions ha. But I know, one of the few perks of the job? Plus how can you deal with the public with no drug in your system ha

i71jskz5xu42pb · 14-02-2019 5:21pm

First they came for the smokers, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a smoker.

Then they came for the ****, and I did not speak out—

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKH9ECC_Qa4

Diceicle · 14-02-2019 5:21pm

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

I get the idea behind not hiring smokers but what if someone said they don't smoke and then got the job and through the probationary period (if they have one) and then started smoking or lied and said they didn't smoke during the interview/application process....what are they going to do about it once the person was employed?

Presumably, they'd be on their 12 month probation when 'caught' so a reason would be formulated to let them go.

Gazzmonkey · 14-02-2019 5:35pm

Gravelly wrote: »

In our Irish HQ, the smokers have to go down the lift, sign out at the front desk, walk 200m across the car park to smoke, and then repeat the whole process in reverse. Plus someone has to empty the fag bin, clean up after them etc.
Our employees have to take their full breaks to comply with company policy, so fag breaks are additional time that non-smokers don't get.
There's also the "us and them" anti social element.

Ok well I'm fortunate that we're on the ground floor and smoking area is anywhere that's not inside. So I can be out & in within about 4 minutes.. only smoking skinny little rollies helps a lot... a big fat disgusting fag would make me puke.

Spanish Eyes · 14-02-2019 6:44pm

Vaping is the way of the future. Trip to the jacks/loo and sorted. Would anyone query how many times you visited the facilities, could anyone smell the vape (not anything else of course).

Crock Rock · 14-02-2019 6:45pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO4GHHeAUDs

Crock Rock · 14-02-2019 6:45pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO4GHHeAUDs

Ninthlife · 14-02-2019 6:51pm

Smoking in work?...

a burning question

Purple Mountain · 14-02-2019 6:57pm

Just smoke on yer frigging break people.
Managements should have a clear policy that the only time non scheduled breaks should be taken is for bathroom or medical reasons.
And if the nicotine junkies can't cope with that then jog on.

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup · 14-02-2019 7:05pm

it's not even the smell of the cigarette, it's the smell off someone when they've just come from outside after a smoke *gags*

RiderOnTheStorm · 14-02-2019 7:48pm

Image its not smoking we are talking about here, but self-harm or maybe bulemia. Now these 2 sort of make the person feel good, but they know its not helpful long term. And they could realistically keep it up for years. Its done in private and doesn't effect anyone else. If it wont effect their work, does a future employer have any grounds not to employ them? Does everyone have a right to damage themselves?

padd b1975 · 14-02-2019 7:58pm

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

But sure everyone over the age of 11 smoked back then.

It was an entirely different time and culture.

All my primary school teachers smoked right through the day, that was back in the early to mid eighties.

Sardonicat · 14-02-2019 7:58pm

What's the problem with nicotine patch wearers?

Diceicle · 14-02-2019 9:46pm

Sardonicat wrote: »

What's the problem with nicotine patch wearers?

They still have nicotine in their systemat time of testing and high levels of relapse.

mcmoustache · 14-02-2019 10:14pm

In most places that I worked, smokers took a break at the same time as everyone else - 11:00, 13:00 and 16:00.

Even now, as a programmer, it's the same. It would be a bit silly not to hire people who smoke. When you think about how often we slack off and go on boards or wherever, a smoke is insignificant. And in some jobs, many a problem has been solved by leaving the desk for a smoke.

If smokers in a factory or something like that are getting extra breaks, that's not on though.

Salt Lake Stallion · 14-02-2019 10:21pm

As a non smoker, it always annoys me that smokers are allowed to take frequent fag breaks whereas non smokers are expected to stay working. I don't think preventing someone from obtaining a job becasue they smoke is fair either though. Stricter laws on where and when employees can smoke in the workplace, would be a better solution IMO.

Mainly have worked in construction, but this has been the case at some factory/warehouses I have worked at too.

questionmark? · 14-02-2019 10:53pm

Purple Mountain wrote: »

Just smoke on yer frigging break people.
Managements should have a clear policy that the only time non scheduled breaks should be taken is for bathroom or medical reasons.
And if the nicotine junkies can't cope with that then jog on.

Once the same rule is applied to those that go and get coffee/tea then it would be equally fair.

Purple Mountain · 14-02-2019 11:17pm

questionmark? wrote: »

Once the same rule is applied to those that go and get coffee/tea then it would be equally fair.

I don't know anybody who drinks tea who abuses this.
There's only so much tea you can drink and if you have 2 breaks and a lunch in the day I can't see how you would be forcing more tea into you!

hullaballoo · 15-02-2019 9:27am

There are two kinds of smokers, those who make sure smoking doesn't interfere with their workday and those who make sure the work day doesn't interfere with their smoking.

I'm a smoker but I'm self employed and I work stupid long days anyway so I'm in a different game to most here. But as a smoker, I've noticed that some smokers are contrite about smoking and won't use it to take extra breaks whereas others use it as an excuse to take more breaks.

Those of us who are contrite and even apologetic about smoking get pretty annoyed by the other lot when conversations like non hiring of smokers come up!

15-02-2019 9:37am

hullaballoo wrote: »

There are two kinds of smokers, those who make sure smoking doesn't interfere with their workday and those who make sure the work day doesn't interfere with their smoking.

I'm a smoker but I'm self employed and I work stupid long days anyway so I'm in a different game to most here. But as a smoker, I've noticed that some smokers are contrite about smoking and won't use it to take extra breaks whereas others use it as an excuse to take more breaks.

Those of us who are contrite and even apologetic about smoking get pretty annoyed by the other lot when conversations like non hiring of smokers come up!

I'm a (sometimes) smoker and I can see some justification behind this policy. But yeah - there's definitely a minority of smokers who exaggerate the supposed benefits enjoyed by employees who smoke cigarettes.

I'm wary of drawing a parallel like this, but it reminds me of workers who are convinced that people who rely on social welfare are necessarily taking the piss.

When I smoke, I'm super conscious of it, I have one of those small bottles of cologne in my desk drawer just so I don't smell of cigarettes. Non smokers: we're not all out to disrupt your day.

Having said all that, I'm not sure I disagree with a policy of only hiring non smokers. But how would à HR team even know that?

....... · 15-02-2019 10:24am

I used to work with a guy who would go for a 10 minute smoke break every hour. Two of these smoke breaks coincided with breaks.

I smoked myself at the time but not nearly as often, however, I did occasionally see him outside in the smoking area.

One day I noticed he was standing outside beside the smoking area, but not smoking. Saw him go out an hour later, had a look out and there he was again, standing outside for 10 minutes, but not smoking.

Turned out he had actually quit smoking, but wasnt willing to give up his 10 minutes * 6 smoke breaks per day so he would just walk outside and look off into space for 10 minutes every hour.

15-02-2019 10:27am

....... wrote: »

I used to work with a guy who would go for a 10 minute smoke break every hour. Two of these smoke breaks coincided with breaks.

I smoked myself at the time but not nearly as often, however, I did occasionally see him outside in the smoking area.

One day I noticed he was standing outside beside the smoking area, but not smoking. Saw him go out an hour later, had a look out and there he was again, standing outside for 10 minutes, but not smoking.

Turned out he had actually quit smoking, but wasnt willing to give up his 10 minutes * 6 smoke breaks per day so he would just walk outside and look off into space for 10 minutes every hour.

not just 10 minute smoke breaks, but every hour. Yeah that definitely happened.

ingo1984 · 15-02-2019 10:37am

Don't see what the issue is. Most companies for standard 9-5 job will provide an hour lunch break and then 2 separate 15 minute breaks in the morning and afternoon. Those 15 minute breaks could be the fag breaks.

A Smoker? You're Fired!

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