Smokers Getting Extra Breaks..... Is It Fair? (owner, health insurance, claim)

[ElizaTeal]

Think smokers are cutting out of work too often, how about those single parents? They can always find a reason to show up late and leave work earlier than everyone.

[Annie53]

How many nonsmokers complain about the smokers out on a smoke break while they are posting on facebook or CD on company time? LOL

What a bunch of whiney hypocrites.

[TRC2k11]

Originally Posted by chef.sunny22

You're kidding, right? Do you smoke? Has it dulled your senses? You can smell smokers. Their hair smells, they smell, so do their clothes.

Yep you can.

I quit last June and it wasn't long before my sense of smell returned. I know who is a smoker if they are within 10 ft. of me.

I've also saved over $2500 @$8 a pack on cigarettes and saved $1400 on my health coverage I get through work because I haven't had to pay the $200 per month tobacco surcharge since I was hired perm 7 months ago.

$3900. I am treating myself to something nice later this year.

[chef.sunny22]

Originally Posted by zonababe

Think smokers are cutting out of work too often, how about those single parents? They can always find a reason to show up late and leave work earlier than everyone.

This has nothing to do with the discussion, however. It's off topic.

And as for people using facebook, whatever during work time, I guess smokers don't do that either?

Smokers seem a bit sensitive about this issue because they are going the way of the horse and cart in business. When more bosses start realizing how smokers jack up insurance premiums for themselves and their families with their habit, they will soon become less desirable as workers.

They can discriminate against fat people, so why not you? Facts are facts. You can't distort them because it ****es you off.

Good for you, TRC!! Enjoy that cash!

Good luck to all who are struggling with quitting.

[Chatteress]

As long as it does not make extra work for me, I could care less if the smokers take a few extra breaks, especially as it keeps them from smoking inside. I do have an issue with the smell of cigarette smoke that lingers on their clothing and hair. I try to stay away from smokers because the smoke irritates my eyes due to allergies.

[chef.sunny22]

They SHOULDN'T be smoking inside. Are there still places (businesses) that allow this?

You have the right to clean air at work.

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by chef.sunny22

They SHOULDN'T be smoking inside. Are there still places (businesses) that allow this?

You have the right to clean air at work.

Not here in California but other states allow smoking in public places (Las Vegas casinos for example) ... I'm so grateful that at least, I don't have to deal with my coworker's cigarette smoke while I'm working

[intelfan11315]

Originally Posted by charolastra00

I got cancer at 23 through no fault of my own. I take great pride in making the smokers who work in other offices and I am forced to interact with cry. Especially the facilities guy who (thinking he was being funny) gave me grief about the amount of time I was taking out of work while on chemo.

If I ever work in a place that does not enforce the no smoking rule, I have no problem calling people out on their bad decisions - especially since their bad decisions hurt my chemo-damaged lungs.

oh brother. Your story would be great if you weren't so annoying about it.

[HDL]

Oh boy, does this bring back memories . And not the good kind either !

My father smoked when I was a child and well into my adulthood before he finally gave it up (Thank you Jesus !). We as a family were forced to be around the 2nd hand smoke whether we liked it or not . As I got older and the laws started to change, we were quite fortunate that smoking moved from inside the office to outside the building. Still bad, but at least it was somewhat tolerable.

Then the slackers , I mean 'smokers' started rebelling against what they perceived was their RIGHT to smoke whenever and wherever they chose and started taking hourly smoke breaks . I'm talking about exempt and nonexempt folks who were not punching a time clock. I really didn't think it was fair, but neither do I think that it's right for anyone to stand around bs'ing all day long either, and of course, I wasn't their boss, so I minded my own business .

Anyways, what ended up really getting my goat, was many years ago when I starting working at a company and was in the initial training phase. All the people that were training me happened to be smokers and every time we needed to talk, they'd lead me outside to discuss work while they smoked. Okay so I'm a newbie and I'm not wanting to rock the boat . I DETEST cigarette smoke !!! But what can I do when the people training me smoke???

So one day I'm discussing my work and training with my boss. I don't recall if I've been there a week or two , but it's been very difficult to do a good job there because although I have a desk, I don't have my own computer or phone to do my job properly (both of which are needed in my field). So he starts saying something about me always being outside, implying I'm on 'break' all the time . I swear I felt like I was going to go all 'ballastic' on him (but of course, I didn't )!

I remembered quitting this job that day as I knew that I was in a losing battle. Either I 'rat' everybody out (HEY, I hate cigarette smoke, so why the heck would I be in the smokers' break area all the time????? ) or I just move on and find something more suitable and hopefully that gives me the actual tools I need to get my job done properly ! That really ticked me off and I'll never forget getting lumped in with all the smokers that day !

[Lolipopbubbles]

Originally Posted by manderly6

If it really bothers you just start going out when they do.

Not everyone can do that. Some offices leave it up to the Supervisor to decide or complain if the employee can go out for as many breaks as they want. Where I work most employees are favored because of nepotism or the dept. head or supervising manager are lovers with the employees family member and rarely but sometimes with the employee who gets to take all those breaks. I normally don't care and never did until my Supervisor woke me up to the fact that some smokers take advantage of it and abuse the privilege/favoring.

There are employees who take up to 12 breaks in one morning just to go out and have that smoke and they always take extra long in the summer. I know when caught up with work it feels ok to take an hour to smoke with co-worker friend but it's really not right but no one can do anything about. BTW most union employees don't get away with it unless they got something on the supervisor.

When those employees aren't smokers they get to screw off all afternoon or morning playing games on the computer they installed themselves or screw off just being on the internet so even non smokers take advantage more than most. Most non smokers who are favored screw off more than smokers who aren't favored.

Unless the Dept. head gets a backbone and orders everyone on a written scheduled smoke and food breaks the supervisor can't do anything about the employees who refuse to stop screwing off. They act like nice little church mice when the employer is in the office and keep their ears opened when they do screw off playing games all afternoon or morning but the employer (dept. head) has no clue and looks like a fool because the high rise cubicle walls prevent them from seeing what the employee is doing.

If they are union they can't be threatened with being fired especially when supervisor doesn't report them to the Dept. head. If they have the supervisor convinced no one else can do the job or because of their race, nationality, etc etc the supervisor won't report them for that too. The only and best way to stop them is to have them written up and let them know it that puts the fear in them because if written up enough times they can be fired or transferred to another Dept. and become someone elses problem or when layoffs come they go. But even then it's a ***** to get to that point even when caught. If the employee has a supervisory title but not in charge of anyone then title alone prevents other (real) supervisors, with the responsibility of being in charge of employees, and the Dept. Head who is in charge of all supervisory titles, from stopping them. No one can do anything due to the titles they have, race, nationality, nephotism and being in some closet about who they are lovers with and I don't necessarily mean gay any realtionship that connects the Dept. Head/employer to the employee. It's not right but since non smokers can get away with it depending on who their supervisor is and no one else can I can't say it's all smokers who are to blame for being irresponsible and taking advantage of taking too many breaks.

It's really not right when some employees can only take a scheduled break and all others can do anything they damn well please for as long as they want damn well feel like and not one word is said to them. The Dept. either doesn't care, can't stop them, or won't.