smoke breaks

[fideldyfee]

is there any rules that say you have to be a smoker to be entitled to go out on breaks with other smokers? do i have a leg to stand on if they tell me i can no longer go outside for two ten min breaks a day because i dont smoke?

[dawg_kane]

i would say no you dont have a leg to stand on, if this is extra time above the usual amount of break time you have during the day the company, based on your contract, have every right to decline you this should they want to, they dont also have to allow smokers time to go out on smoke breaks either!

especially now with the new smoking at work legislation coming out i know that at my workplace they are banning smoking anywhere near my work completely...

you could however argue the fact that if you are denied these 10min breaks then so should all the smokers...they must treat you all the same smokers or not or you could get a union involved.

[Loosehead]

Yep Dawg is correct, presumably they only let the smokers out so they don't have a load of Nicotine junkies climbing the walls. I once worked in a place where there was a clocking system and smokers had to clock off when they went out for a break, certainly focussed their minds. Another place I worked at used to dock 1 hour per day off contractors that where smokers. Got them fumiing of course but you cannot fault the logic!

[{Dakota}]

You are entitled to a 15 minute break for ever 4 hours you work, as for stepping outside for a cigarette, they can stop you from doing that if they have a no smoking policy anywhere on their premesis - whether it's outside or not but they cannot stop you leaving the premesis (i.e. step onto the street) for a cigarette.

[fideldyfee]

they dont have anything against the smokers going out for breaks but if people who they know dont smoke go out, then they are pulled up for it. am i going to have to start saying i enjoy the occaisional cigarrette or something so that they let me out too?

[lady_p_gold]

Well where I work they are going to make you have to take your smoking breaks out of your flexi time .. good job too I say !

[NiceCupOfTea]

loosehead - that must have caused murder! If I was a smoker getting one hours pay docked, I'd ensure I smoked for exactly one hour, which would be more than normal lol

[khana]

Two 10 min breaks daily is the equivalent of 2 weeks extra holiday for most people who work an average 35 hour week. I don't have a problem with people who smoke as it does not effect me directly.
I as a none smoker would quite like 2 extra weeks holiday a year for nothing, thats something I do have a problem with.

[joko]

if the smokers can go, you should be able to go too. buy a pack of cigarettes and take it with you outside and pretend.

[Gef]

Everyone is entitled to a break if their hours are long enough. Obviouly you don't have to smoke in that break. Where is the problem here?

[Headtime]

If you work at a computer screen all day at work, the I believe you are allowed under European Law to take a 5 minute 'screen break' every hour, Whether you smoke or not is entirely up to you.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Headtime- that law re getting a break from your monitor is to ensure you don't stare at the thing all day. It doesn't mean you get a literal break from work every hour, unfortunately.