# Going for Smoke Breaks at work



## Luckycharm (4 Feb 2008)

This should probally be in the Letting off Steam section as it is something that does annoy me at times. I don't smoke but probally 50/60% of the people in work do. This will usually entail a smoke break for 5/10 mins every hour and half during working hours not lunch time. I do drink coffee and go every hour and half to get a cup of coffee this takes 2 mins max as waterboiler so don't have to wait for kettle to boil etc. 
I always wonder if I decided every an hour and half to take a 10 min coffee break and read the paper for example I am sure this would be frowned upon but if I smoked and took the same time to have a ciggie this is accepted? 
It is not something I would do but smokers do seem to get alot more flexibility as it is an addiction 
Does any other non smokers feel the same?


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## ClubMan (4 Feb 2008)

Luckycharm said:


> This should probally be in the Letting off Steam section


So why didn't you post it there in the first place instead of leaving it to a moderator to move it!?


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## Caveat (4 Feb 2008)

I'm a smoker but am not entitled to any special 'smoking time/breaks'. 

I smoke during the breaks that we all get, and only then. I thought this was fairly standard but maybe not?


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## Luckycharm (4 Feb 2008)

ClubMan said:


> So why didn't you post it there in the first place instead of leaving it to a moderator to move it!?


 
That was quick because it happens in work.


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## ailbhe (4 Feb 2008)

I worked in a pub in the days pre smoking ban. I was a waitress and one day (when I was 8 months pregnant) we had been very busy and I had been on my feet for hours. I was shattered and went to sit down in the canteen for 5 minutes. Manager came in and wanted to know what I thought I was doing etc and I was to get back to work. Fair enough, it was an unofficial break but what bothered me was there were 3 other people (1 barman, 2 waiters) in the room with me having a smoke. I was the only one given out to simply because I was just sitting on my (heavily pregnant) backside but they were having a ciggie. Grrrr. 


Happened in my last office too but nobody smokes in my current job so it's not an issue now.


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## ClubMan (4 Feb 2008)

Luckycharm said:


> That was quick because it happens in work.


Huh!


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## ci1 (4 Feb 2008)

I think most companies have a policy.

My last company had to bring in the polciy was smokers could have one mid morning and one mid afternoon and then they had lunchtime aswell. The reason being that one or two who were chain smokers were outside every other hour and so everyone else thought it was ok to do that aswell.

it did annoy me sometimes though because all the smokers used to go together so the phones would hopping and their breaks got longer because they were all out there yapping and smoking.

Start taking your coffee breaks at the same time as them and not going back until they were back.  Fair is fair !


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## Luckycharm (4 Feb 2008)

ClubMan said:


> Huh!


 
Clubman it was originally posted in WORK, careers, unemployment, further education training section. It is a work issue- so that is why it was posted there, it does not bother me anywhere else!!


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## ney001 (4 Feb 2008)

Luckycharm said:


> This should probally be in the Letting off Steam section as it is something that does annoy me at times. I don't smoke but probally 50/60% of the people in work do. This will usually entail a smoke break for 5/10 mins every hour and half during working hours not lunch time. I do drink coffee and go every hour and half to get a cup of coffee this takes 2 mins max as waterboiler so don't have to wait for kettle to boil etc.
> I always wonder if I decided every an hour and half to take a 10 min coffee break and read the paper for example I am sure this would be frowned upon but if I smoked and took the same time to have a ciggie this is accepted?
> It is not something I would do but smokers do seem to get alot more flexibility as it is an addiction
> Does any other non smokers feel the same?



How long does it take you to drink the coffee? - surely the same time as it would take the smokers to finish their cigarettes - or do the smokers then come in and make a coffee as well?.


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## z106 (4 Feb 2008)

ney001 said:


> How long does it take you to drink the coffee? - surely the same time as it would take the smokers to finish their cigarettes - or do the smokers then come in and make a coffee as well?.


 
Well i'm a smoker and i have my coffee with everyone else.

Then when they all leave to go back to work i then go out for my cigarrette break.


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## Luckycharm (4 Feb 2008)

ney001 said:


> How long does it take you to drink the coffee? - surely the same time as it would take the smokers to finish their cigarettes - or do the smokers then come in and make a coffee as well?.


 
I drink my coffee at my desk as I said it takes 2 mins to make a cup of coffee. Yep the smokers would then come in and make a coffee but someone getting a coffee/tea whatever is not an issue for me anyway. 
For example my wife works in a creche some members of staff tend to smoke alot taking plenty of smoke breaks - this leaves the non smoking staff members with a higher ratio of kids which makes their job alot harder. Their job is hard enough without having to look after more kids which as any parent knows can be hard work!


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## ney001 (4 Feb 2008)

Maybe they don't chat on AAM during working hours and so make up time that way


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## Luckycharm (4 Feb 2008)

ney001 said:


> Maybe they don't chat on AAM during working hours and so make up time that way


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## The_Banker (4 Feb 2008)

I am not a smoker but maybe if smokers were not able to take a smoking break they may become cranky and irritable and then productivity would go down.


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## annR (4 Feb 2008)

Productivity is going down already because they take smoking breaks.


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## z104 (4 Feb 2008)

Is an employer allowed to ask a person if they're a smoker at interview stage?

From the people I know the average smoker smokes 15 per day. If this figure is applicable to most smokers then we could we assume that the average smoker smokes one cigarette per hour. Since they have to go outside to smoke you are probably looking at a 10 minute break every hour.(Not including picking up from where you left off work and settling back to work and the time your colleagues waste by looking for you if they need you on the phone, leaving a voicmail e.t.c.) 

For arguements sake we'll say an hour on smoke breaks per day/ 5 hours per week or 240 hours per a 48 week year.
That equates to 6 weeks/30 days per 48 week year.


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## boaber (4 Feb 2008)

We have to clock out to go for smoke breaks, which is only fair really, so we're not smoking on 'Company Time'.


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## z104 (4 Feb 2008)

boaber said:


> We have to clock out to go for smoke breaks, which is only fair really, so we're not smoking on 'Company Time'.


 
Do they dock you or ask you to make up the time or do they turn a blind eye to it?


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## snuffle (5 Feb 2008)

I would have thought it was pretty standard for smokers to only go for smoke breaks when there are actual breaks? 

Any place I have ever worked ran by this system - therefore at say, 11am, or thereabouts, it's taken that you can have 5 or 10 minutes to make a cup of coffee or go for a smoke or just stretch your legs, then you have your lunch-hour, then at 3pm or thereabouts you again have a short break for coffee or a smoke (or both if you're organised )

I am a smoker myself and wouldn't dream of dropping work every hour and sauntering off for an extended 15 minute break. If I was busy, I'd forego the mid-morning or mid-afternoon break altogether, for either a cuppa or a smoke, as it's only a few hours til either lunch or finish time rolls round.

If it bothers you so much, though, why don't you go out when the smokers are taking a break to "stretch your legs" - I have seen it done before and nothing was said, as why should it if you are merely taking a break once mid morning and once mid afternoon.

I have to say though, I have never come across a workplace where smokers were taking off every 50 minutes or so for 15 minutes at a time.


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## Purple (5 Feb 2008)

Everybody takes unofficial breaks. They log on here, they go for a smoke, they spend too long in the toilet, they chat when they are making a cup of tea or coffee. I would never make anyone clock out for a smoke break or them bringing a cup of tea or coffee to their desk. 
As long as on balance they work hard and work clever over the day it’s no big deal taking a smoke break.


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## ney001 (5 Feb 2008)

Purple said:


> Everybody takes unofficial breaks. They log on here, they go for a smoke, they spend too long in the toilet, they chat when they are making a cup of tea or coffee. I would never make anyone clock out for a snake break or them bringing a cup of tea or coffee to their desk.
> As long as on balance they work hard and work clever over the day it’s no big deal taking a smoke break.



Well said Purple, I personally think too many people are paying attention to what everybody else is doing in the office - don't let the small stuff bother you!


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## boaber (5 Feb 2008)

Niallers said:


> Do they dock you or ask you to make up the time or do they turn a blind eye to it?



On flexi time, so we have to work a certain number of hours every month.  So time spent on smoke breaks has to be made up by staying later, or coming in earlier etc


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## Vanilla (6 Feb 2008)

Pre smoking ban I remember working in two different offices. I used to smoke then too, in the first my boss chain smoked and I practically did too, only stopping when a client came in. In the second the boss banned smoking in the office. Even better the only access to the rear of the building was through his office where he had a clear view of the back yard from his desk. I always thought that in itself was a pretty effective disincentive to taking smoking breaks...needless to say a smoking break was very very rarely taken, really only when boss was out.


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## lightup (8 Feb 2008)

I used to work with a guy who didn't smoke or drink tea/coffee so he would take a 10 minute 'glass of milk' break a couple of times a day!

In my current office there are no official breaks other than lunch but the smokers generally go for 1 mid morning and 1 mid afternoon smoke, taking max 10 mins at a time.  

Everyone in the office takes a few short breaks during the day for tea, coffee or a bit of friendly banter with co-workers.

This informal approach works quite well and, the odd time a person may abuse this system (either by numerous/prolonged smoke breaks or numerous/prolonged coffee breaks or chatting) a friendly word usually rights things.

If you are really annoyed about this OP you should make a stand and take similar breaks as the smokers, but just make sure you are working hard the rest of the time in case someone in looking over _your_ shoulder!


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## podgerodge (9 Feb 2008)

Smokers, due to their (and my) addiction, ensure that they work hard enough to allow time to feed their addiction, and therefore will output in 50 minutes what their non-smoking colleagues output in an hour.  It's all about "getting the work done".  If I was not outputting the work that my non-smoking colleagues were, i would have heard about it by now. 

The griping by non-smokers (those that resent smokers for their habit) is nothing more than begrudgery.  Indeed, I would point out that, certainly in my experience, non-smokers are perfectly entitled to go outside for 6-7 minutes and breath fresh air if they so wish.  The best reason I have heard is that they have no desire to do so as they would have nothing to do while standing there.  Hence their preference to stay at their desks.


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## Welfarite (15 Feb 2008)

Purple said:


> Everybody takes unofficial breaks. They log on here, they go for a smoke, they spend too long in the toilet, they chat when they are making a cup of tea or coffee. I would never make anyone clock out for a smoke break or them bringing a cup of tea or coffee to their desk.
> As long as on balance they work hard and work clever over the day it’s no big deal taking a smoke break.


 
There is an international process measuring tool called Admistrative Productivity Training (APT). This methodology, which is used widely in the UK and Europe, measures work processes and resources needed to carry them out, and cites a "relaxation factor" of 16.67% allowed for the likes of above. I don't know how this figure was arrived at, but it obviously reflects some officially accepted level of "dossing"  (BTW, this is for clerical type work)


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