Smoking Co-Workers And There "Smoke Breaks"

[WDW~Lover]

I'll happily tolerate my co-workers taking smoke breaks rather than go back to the days of smoke-filled offices. You can't have it both ways.

sure you can....companies need to work with both sides not just one

 

[cinmell]

Do you think it is fair?

NO! Not at all. And while we're at it, why do they have to hang right outside of the door so you have to walk thru the smoke to get in and out of the building?

 

[KAMLEM]

The argument about it being fair because non-smokers are taking time to make personal phone calls and leave for kids' appointments doesn't work when it's the smokers that are doing this, too. Someone in my office kept track of how much time the smokers spent on their breaks one week, and it averaged out to 2 1/2 hours a day. They get an hour, so they are over by 1 1/2 hours PER DAY. These are also the people who stroll in late every day and leave as soon as the clock strikes 5.

I could understand a quick break if you really can't do without, but I don't think it's necessary to take 25-30 minutes everytime. It takes about 60 seconds to walk outside here, so the entire time is spent socializing. Funny how quick the breaks are on the rainy or freezing cold days!

 

[jrmasm]

I'm glad that my boss is the only one that cares what I do when I'm on the clock and not the office busybody.

 

[shortyK]

The argument about it being fair because non-smokers are taking time to make personal phone calls and leave for kids' appointments doesn't work when it's the smokers that are doing this, too. Someone in my office kept track of how much time the smokers spent on their breaks one week, and it averaged out to 2 1/2 hours a day. They get an hour, so they are over by 1 1/2 hours PER DAY. These are also the people who stroll in late every day and leave as soon as the clock strikes 5.

I could understand a quick break if you really can't do without, but I don't think it's necessary to take 25-30 minutes everytime. It takes about 60 seconds to walk outside here, so the entire time is spent socializing. Funny how quick the breaks are on the rainy or freezing cold days!

How much work-time did this person use tracking what other people were doing with their time?

 

[paigevz]

Heck no it isn't fair!

It also isn't fair that those people made a choice when they were young and thought they were immortal and are now financially, habitually, and health-wise paying for it. I know they made a choice. But good golly how many people think something is going to turn out the way it does?

As far as in the work place.....whatever you do, take it up with the bosses. It isn't the smokers' decision as to what's fair or not.

And before anyone assumes I'm a smoker, I'm not. I just see a lot of people who never expected to be in over their heads with a habit like this.

 

[Mean Queen]

One office where everyone took lots of smoke breaks, I started taking soda breaks. I'd sit by myself in the break room with the other non-smoker in the group and have a soda until the rest of the group came back. Otherwise, the other person and I were expected to continue doing all the work alone. I don't think smokers should get extra break time to accomodate their habit.

 

[Amlee]

Years ago, I worked in an office were I was the only non-smoker. They always smoked in packs. It was always "hey catch the phones while we smoke". Sure no problem. Oh also the boss was in this pack.

It didn't take much of my time, to keep track of how long their smoke breaks were. They average 5 to 10 minutes 4 times a day. Plus an hours lunch and 2 15 minute breaks.

So I got where every time they would come back in, I would get up, get my book, go out and read for 5 or 10 minutes.

The first time I did it my boss came out on me wanting to know WTH did I think I was doing? I looked at her and very quickly explain, I was taking my very first smoke break. She said, but you don't smoke. That's right, I don't. But if they can get an extra 20 to 40 minutes a day away from the desk, than so can I!

That did not go over well at all. After a few weeks of me doing this, a new smoking rule went down. They changed our breaks to 20 minutes and all smoking had to be done during that time.

Let me tell you, there was some people majorly unhappy with me.

 

[clarabelle]

Years ago I worked in the OR at a big hospital as a nurse.
Many of the surgical technicians (people who pass the instruments) were smokers.
They took many breaks. So if you had a surgery that was running behind schedule and you were trying to get the room turned over and the correct instruments -you would have to do it on your own -because the person who was supposed to be helping you slipped out for a quick smoke.
Then the surgeon would be irritated because you weren't ready on time.
So... It is not about being the office busy body for me.
It is about trying to do your best and someone's smoking habit affecting your job as well.

 

[Ride Junkie]

I'm lucky where I work. We can pretty much take breaks whenever we need to, and we cover for each other. My coworker will go smoke, and when he gets back, I'll go walk around the park. But I remember being tied to a desk at previous jobs and noticing that the smokers did get a lot more breaks.

My friend was experiencing this at her job. She was the only one not getting the extra breaks in her office. So, she bought a pack of cigarettes (she doesn't smoke), and every day, she just holds up the pack, waves it, and says, "Going for a break." Then she goes & does whatever, and it has worked for her.

It should be equal breaks for everyone, and whatever you do on your break is your business.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

Where I work you get the same breaks weather you smoke or not and the whole site is non smoking. We have some very cranky workers I must say. Just glad I quit or that would be me. Now I can not tolerate smoke at all. I am such a hypocrite but I have no idea how my husband used to put up with my smoking. He must really love me. LOL. Smoke free for 4 years now!!

 

[shortyK]

Years ago I worked in the OR at a big hospital as a nurse.
Many of the surgical technicians (people who pass the instruments) were smokers.
They took many breaks. So if you had a surgery that was running behind schedule and you were trying to get the room turned over and the correct instruments -you would have to do it on your own -because the person who was supposed to be helping you slipped out for a quick smoke.
Then the surgeon would be irritated because you weren't ready on time.
So... It is not about being the office busy body for me.
It is about trying to do your best and someone's smoking habit affecting your job as well.

This I can see complaining about - whether smoking or anything else, affecting someone else's ability to do their job is rude

 

[cinmell]

Smoke free for 4 years now!!

Congratulations!

 

[KAMLEM]

How much work-time did this person use tracking what other people were doing with their time?

Oh please, it doesn't take more than 5 seconds for them to write down the time that someone gets up and comes back from their desks.

 

[DISUNC]

Luckily I never worked in a enviornment with 'stipulated" breaks of any kind. Nor would/could I work in that kind of childish envirnment.

If people want to go outside & smoke, they can.
If people want to get up & go to the restroom they can.
If people want to go out for a walk, they can.
If people want to go get a cup of coffee/soda/tea they can.

As long as the work gets done, thats all that matters.

 

[darlak]

Luckily I never worked in a enviornment with 'stipulated" breaks of any kind. Nor would/could I work in that kind of childish envirnment.

If people want to go outside & smoke, they can.
If people want to get up & go to the restroom they can.
If people want to go out for a walk, they can.
If people want to go get a cup of coffee/soda/tea they can.

As long as the work gets done, thats all that matters.

ITA!!! I can't help but feel a bit sorry that so many people have to work in such a restrictive environment. Sounds a little like preschool.

You know, DISUNC, you're getting to be the voice of reason more and more often around here.

Scares me just a bit.

 

[clarabelle]

But there are jobs where it has to be restrictive -like the OR that I mentioned or say a factory assembly line or somewhere where someone has to interact with the public. If someone dissapears to smoke it is more obivious because someone else has to fill in.

 

[DISUNC]

ITA!!! I can't help but feel a bit sorry that so many people have to work in such a restrictive environment. Sounds a little like preschool.

You know, DISUNC, you're getting to be the voice of reason more and more often around here.

Scares me just a bit.

NOW THATS SCARY!
Be afraid be very afraid!

Thanks

 

[WDW~Lover]

Years ago I worked in the OR at a big hospital as a nurse.
Many of the surgical technicians (people who pass the instruments) were smokers.
They took many breaks. So if you had a surgery that was running behind schedule and you were trying to get the room turned over and the correct instruments -you would have to do it on your own -because the person who was supposed to be helping you slipped out for a quick smoke.
Then the surgeon would be irritated because you weren't ready on time.
So... It is not about being the office busy body for me.
It is about trying to do your best and someone's smoking habit affecting your job as well.

this is how it was for me. I really do not care if someone takes a smoke break, I just take a walk or go to the bathroom the long way.
BUT when you are doing some very important work that calls for everyone you work with, and they leave you alone in a room with highly explosive material, in a explosive proof room, and I am counting and moving heavy drums BY MY SELF, because my co-workers feel the need to have a smoke every hour on the hour (2 ciggs a piece) one gets ticked off, when YOU(being me) walks quickly and gets yelled at because I went to the bathroom! while there out smoking!

just not fair! now if I blew up....because I was up accompanied while they were smoking..

 

[Disney Doll]

The whole "other workers spend time on the phone dealing with their kids" argument doesn't hold water, because smokers do that too, in addition to taking thier smoking breaks.

The whole "smoking break" thing isn't fair, has never been fair, will never be fair.

I'm a nurse on a medical unit. A couple of my colleagues smoke. Their first cig of the day is on their coffee break...OK fine...I get coffee break too. Then they have the
"mid-morning" cig. OK. I don't get a mid-morning break. Then there's the lunch cig...OK, I get a lunch too. Then there's the mid-afternoon cig. I don't get a mid-afternoon break. And, quite frankly, even though I am entitled to a coffee break & a lunch, more often than not, due to the workload and acuity on my unit, I don't get one. Yet, the smokers seem to be able to leave for 15 minutes 4x/day to smoke. So what part of their work are they not doing?

Hmm....