Smokers taking the p*ss at work.
Discussion
At the end of the day are they doing their job well?
I take frequent mini-breaks (I am not a smoker at work, but have the odd little cigar of an evening), here on PH for example or go for a stroll, but then I start work very early, finish quite late and when I am working I go at it like a demon and produce large amounts of high quality work in a short, feverishly intense timescale.
It's always been my working style. I work best in fits and starts of very high speed, not consistent continuous effort.
I take frequent mini-breaks (I am not a smoker at work, but have the odd little cigar of an evening), here on PH for example or go for a stroll, but then I start work very early, finish quite late and when I am working I go at it like a demon and produce large amounts of high quality work in a short, feverishly intense timescale.
It's always been my working style. I work best in fits and starts of very high speed, not consistent continuous effort.
Edited by AlexKP on Thursday 2nd April 13:04
You could always try suggesting your company institutes what ours did. From the new holiday entitlement year, all workers who had not smoked for the previous year were entitled to two extra days annual leave per year than the smokers (to compensate for not taking smoking breaks). Worked a treat.
Don't sit on the fence 
Yes its a tad annoying, there are a pair of women in my office who spend nearly 2 hours outside smoking and nattering every day. One of them is the manager of the team, so little is said, yet she has the audacity to chastise other members of the team for the smallest infractions.
I'm a smoker myself but I only have a ciggie after eating my lunch, within my designated lunch hour.
I'm a smoker myself but I only have a ciggie after eating my lunch, within my designated lunch hour.
At least they go outside or into a smoking room these days. My boss used to smoke in his office regardless of the weather and the stink used to waft through into the main office I'm in next door.
Since the smoking ban he buggers off outside and we get some peace and quiet while he does so. And in a rant best suited to another topic the bloke is such a cheapskate he won't pay the £50 to get rid of 3 pallets of catalogues to a local recycling place (who'll collect) when we can put them pack by pack into our sister companies recycling bin instead. Which will take weeks as there's only so many you can dispose of at one time.
Since the smoking ban he buggers off outside and we get some peace and quiet while he does so. And in a rant best suited to another topic the bloke is such a cheapskate he won't pay the £50 to get rid of 3 pallets of catalogues to a local recycling place (who'll collect) when we can put them pack by pack into our sister companies recycling bin instead. Which will take weeks as there's only so many you can dispose of at one time.
captainzep said:
I'm not a smoker.
But I wholeheartedly support the notion of fag breaks.
The '...but what about all the smokers and their breaks?...' defence is notionally lined up as a contingency in my overall PH browsing related disciplinary case.
It’s funny reading some of these comments. I worked for almost two years in Italy and virtually everyone smokes (They can smoke inside, as the ban is at the discretion of the company owners, providing they have the required air con/filters)But I wholeheartedly support the notion of fag breaks.
The '...but what about all the smokers and their breaks?...' defence is notionally lined up as a contingency in my overall PH browsing related disciplinary case.
Out of the thirty or so workers, only one had more than a week off, and very few have days off through illness, despite them being ‘rancid, coughing unhealthy smokers’!
Also, when other companies in our field are trying to save cash and winding down somewhat, we are actually investing in new stuff! All from a place that has 80% smokers! trying to link crap workers with smoking is petty in the extreme.
The lazy, ill, rancid smoker thing must be only an English problem – if all you have to worry about is someone else’s fag break, you really haven’t got it so bad.
I find that I work best taking regular breaks, it's helpful to have some
"thinking time". I don't suppose it matters much what I'm doing during these
breaks. I think it's more about what you get done overall than presenteeism
or whatever they call it, perhaps not if you're in a call centre or working
on a reception desk though.
It's quite likely that if you're contributing more to the business you're
working in that you'll get paid more and have better promotional opportunities.
"thinking time". I don't suppose it matters much what I'm doing during these
breaks. I think it's more about what you get done overall than presenteeism
or whatever they call it, perhaps not if you're in a call centre or working
on a reception desk though.
It's quite likely that if you're contributing more to the business you're
working in that you'll get paid more and have better promotional opportunities.
Edited by Oversteer on Thursday 2nd April 13:39
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