Smoking breaks during work hours

S

Shawady

Registered User
Messages
944
I was just wondering what other people's thoughts/experiences are with smoking breaks during work hours.

Management in my place of work have designated one outside area for smokers. However I work in a large facility and I was thinking that for some people to use this area, by the time they walk to it have their cigarette and go back to work they could lose 10-15 minutes. From what I can see , it is only a very small minority of my colleagues that smoke but if someone did this 4 times a day they could be losing an hours work a day.

Should smoking be done outside work hours or are employers required to accomodate smokers?
Just interested what happens in other areas of employment.
 
there are allowances made for smokers, which penalises non-smokers.There is also a perception among some bosses that people who smoke are somehow more stressed.
 
Shawady said:
However I work in a large facility and I was thinking that for some people to use this area, by the time they walk to it have their cigarette and go back to work they could lose 10-15 minutes.
Click to expand...

I once worked in a place where depending on where you were in the building it could take 5 minutes to get to the ladies loo. So some people who used the toilet more frequently lost more working time during the day.
 
We don't have smoke breaks. Aside from lunch we have a morning and afternoon tea/coffee break - anyone who wants to smoke nips outside for 5 minutes but the door is less than a minute away for everyone so there is no problem of time lost etc.

But in answer to your question, no, we don't have smoke breaks.

I worked in a place a few years ago that had 2 extra 7 minute breaks in addition to the morning and afternoon tea breaks which were ostensibly to accommodate smokers - but the actual break applied to everyone.
 
No company has "smoke breaks"
By law you're entitled to a break in the morning, one in the afternoon, and your lunch break. whatever you do time passes exactly at the same rate.
 
nmesisca said:
No company has "smoke breaks"
By law you're entitled to a break in the morning, one in the afternoon, and your lunch break. whatever you do time passes exactly at the same rate.
Click to expand...

There is no law which states that you are entitled to a break in the morning and the afternoon

You are entitled to a paid half-hour break after working 4hrs 45mins (I think) but that is it.
 
DB74 said:
There is no law which states that you are entitled to a break in the morning and the afternoon

You are entitled to a paid half-hour break after working 4hrs 45mins (I think) but that is it.
Click to expand...

No, if you work on computers you MUST have a 15 min. break every 2 hours work.
Health and safety.
 
Fair enough although I don't think that is enshrined in law.

Anyway I took from your original post that you meant every worker in the State was entitled to a morning and afternoon break.
 
DB74 said:
There is no law which states that you are entitled to a break in the morning and the afternoon

You are entitled to a paid half-hour break after working 4hrs 45mins (I think) but that is it.
Click to expand...

It's not paid and it's 15 minutes.
 
DB74 said:
Fair enough although I don't think that is enshrined in law.

Anyway I took from your original post that you meant every worker in the State was entitled to a morning and afternoon break.
Click to expand...

everyone is entitled to the time. though people that work on computers need to take such time every 2 hours.
 
Under the working time act 1997 workers who work in excess of 6 hours are entitled to a 30 minute break ( generally taken in 15 mins break morning and afternoon ) in addition to a 1 hour lunch break.
There are sectoral exceptions to the above but generally speaking the above should apply.
 
Deiseblue said:
Under the working time act 1997 workers who work in excess of 6 hours are entitled to a 30 minute break ( generally taken in 15 mins break morning and afternoon ) in addition to a 1 hour lunch break.
There are sectoral exceptions to the above but generally speaking the above should apply.
Click to expand...

That is slightly contrary to the info provided by Purple's link
 
Sorry , missed Purple's link which fully outlines the position.
Can't really see where my understanding of the position differs.
 
I don't see where employees (other than shop employees) are entitled to a 1 hour break in addition to a 30 minute break.

From what I can see, each employee is entitled to a 30-min break after 6 hours work. This 30-min break can include the 15-min break which would apply after 4.5 hours.

Shop employees are entitled to a 1 hour break if they work between 11:30am and 2:30 pm.

Which basically means that, for example, 9-to-5 office workers are only entitled to one 30-min break during the day with NO morning break and NO afternoon break.
 
DB74 said:
Which basically means that, for example, 9-to-5 office workers are only entitled to one 30-min break during the day with NO morning break and NO afternoon break.
Click to expand...

That's it & exactly what's in my own contract.
 
And then there are those people, around here, take their 15/30 minutes breaks morning and afternoon, as well an hour for lunch, as well as smoking breaks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top