Workers to 'clock off' to smoke

[Still Waters]

Workers could be forced to clock off when they go for a cigarette under proposals by a Norfolk council.

Breckland Council said the move aimed to make it fairer for individuals who did not smoke.

Staff will not be paid in future for the time they take to have a cigarette if the proposals are given the go ahead at a meeting on Wednesday.

Simon Clark, from Smokers' lobby group Forest, said everyone was entitled to a break during work.

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[Mac E]

Smokers here take more breaks then non-smokers. I agree that they are entitled to the same amount of breaks as non smokers, but there are people who take advantage of their addictions. When the companies let them get away with the extra smoke breaks they are encouraging the behavior.

[BiffSplitkins]

I couldn't agree more. The chronic break takers should not get paid for their breaks. Where I work we get one 15 minute break in the AM & a 1 hour lunch. If you can't consume enough nicotine in that amount of time then I don't know what to say. Yet, I still see people in my building, outside smoking about 10 times per day. And, of course, it's always the same people. I never take my 15 minute break or my full hour for lunch. I usually sit at my desk and work while I'm eating. That's why I don't feel bad about checking UM a few times per day.

[fenris1011]

Smoker here and I agree with you two. Where I worked I got a 15 and a 1hr lunch. During that 15 I would get a drink, go outside and smoke ONE. I saw quite a few employees take literally three to four breaks a day to smoke.

Some just take advantage of everything possible. I smoke one before I clock in, one during a break, one or two doing lunch and then when I am off I can smoke however many the hell I want. But don't take advantage of your employer people. They're already giving you a paycheck.

[conspiracybeliever]

We don't have breaks. We're all on salary. We work 9 hour days, we eat at our desk. Of course everyone takes their little breaks here and there, read the news while eating lunch, or UM. Everything gets done. That's the important thing.

[keithisco]

Non - smokers more than make up for it by spending twice as much time just idly chatting with friends and colleagues at their desk, or popping outside to chat on a sunny day. Then go running off to report co-workers who go outside to have a smoke!! IMO

I agree with CB above, as long as the work gets done then where is the problem?

Edited September 28, 2010 by keithisco

[LiquidSnake]

My bosses and a few other employees take smoke breaks, however this is right before the shop opening and after the shop closes. It just irritates us, since we have to wait for them. Every second counts in the job I work in

Edited September 28, 2010 by LiquidSnake

[Mac E]

I guess it depends on the industry. Right now the focus is on efficiency and cost cutting, including time. So any time that you are not working is in theory, impacting the company's productivity.

[acidhead]

Hahahaha.... I'd like to see the stats of people who surf the net all day long at their 'laborish' job.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

Teachers who smoke cop it fairly badly, they have to be out of visual sight of the school (so they can't just nip out the front gate, they have to be somewhere where they can't see, or be seen from, the school).

[Eldorado]

Teachers who smoke cop it fairly badly, they have to be out of visual sight of the school (so they can't just nip out the front gate, they have to be somewhere where they can't see, or be seen from, the school).

Out teachers would just nip out to the corridor for a smoke when I was at school. Changed days indeed.

[JamieSymptom]

I'm lucky enough to work in a job where I don't have to account for every minute, and what matters is the job getting done. I go for smoke breaks between 2 and 5 times a day depending on how busy I am.

If my employer tried to enforce clocking cigarette time (which would be purely hypothetical as I don't clock any start or finish times) I would refuse to follow the rules unless everyone also had to clock for getting a coffee, going to the loo or taking a sneaky peak at the BBC news website.

In past jobs where I've had set breaks, I've been perfectly able to exist on 3 or 4 cigarettes per working day, and in these cases eveyone gets the same time off the clock whether they smoke or not.

[little_dreamer]

It's different for smokers who work in high-rise buildings with no balcony or windows that open. They have to get on the elevator or walk down several flights of stairs.

Can't just pop outside for a quick smoke.