Smoke breaks, when do you start complaining?

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Two Words

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Every job I've ever worked has had smokers. These smokers always got smoke breaks multiple times a shift. The managers that smoked also did the same. As a non-smoker, when should I start making a formal complaint? Some people say they have to go smoke every other hour. I've had employees start their shift for an hour after I've already worked 6 and they'll moan about needing a smoke break before I even get my lunch.

One manager has curbed taking smoke breaks by using an e-cig constantly within the workplace, which makes the area have a hint of cigarette smell to it. I don't see how it's "just water vapor" if I can smell it.

I don't plan to work this job as a career. It's just a part time job while I go to school. My concern extends to any career job I may have. Should I expect a more corporate job to allow smokers constant breaks while I pick up their slack?
 
Take a break every hour too?

It's healthy even to get off your workspot and walk/stand around for 5 minutes anyway.
 
This is pretty much a non issue at most corporate work places.

For one almost everyone is salaried and exacting hours no longer matter and instead you are expected to complete a statement of work.

Also most corporate campuses have banned all smoking on their property; this makes it difficult to even be a smoker and work there (which is their goal, conspiring with health insurance providers to lower costs.)

You'll also find in general far less people smoke who have an education and some modicum of success.

At least here in America.
 
Two Words said:
Every job I've ever worked has had smokers. These smokers always got smoke breaks multiple times a shift. The managers that smoked also did the same. As a non-smoker, when should I start making a formal complaint? Some people say they have to go smoke every other hour. I've had employees start their shift for an hour after I've already worked 6 and they'll moan about needing a smoke break before I even get my lunch.

One manager has curbed taking smoke breaks by using an e-cig constantly within the workplace, which makes the area have a hint of cigarette smell to it. I don't see how it's "just water vapor" if I can smell it.

I don't plan to work this job as a career. It's just a part time job while I go to school. My concern extends to any career job I may have. Should I expect a more corporate job to allow smokers constant breaks while I pick up their slack?
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Stop caring or start smoking. Nothing will change and you will be the asshole. Also it is your part time job so you should just take the things for granted. People who don't do their job have to be told to be more aware of their workfield. Do you just take their workload? Then it is your fault.

Also E-Cigarettes don't smell like tobacco - don't imagine things (other than people smoking tobacco flavoured liquids).
 
Us smoker will get narky otherwise man, you don't want to be around that working. Seriously though in my old job the non smokers were allowed to go out for five mins with us smokers too if they wanted, it was only fair.
 
Take a coffee break. It's how this things have evolved at least at the places I have worked.
 
Take a break like them? A celery break? Coffe break? Self pleasure break?
 
No one is stopping you from taking frequent breaks as well, even if that's just to go sit in the break room. There's no policy that prevents non-smokers from taking a 5-10 minute break when they need to stretch or get away from their desk.

The facility I work at recently started a campus wide ban on smoking. Anyone wanting to take a smoke break have to drive off campus and that break is documented as compensatory and/or vacation time. It's a good strategy to have a healthier campus and to encourage people to stop smoking for long periods of time.
 
Just take a break too even if you don't smoke. And the e cig you smell is just the flavor he's using its not actual smoke residue.
 
I use to have this at my old jobs. They got multiple extra breaks, while the non smokers didn't. It use to piss me off to no end.
 
Would they be actually be working if they didn't have those breaks? Would staying in their workstation translate directly into more work being done? Would their efficiency go up or go down?

I've come to believe that one cigarette in the morning and another in the afternoon is a good balance, and in most places it's acceptable for most people to have those little breaks. That said, if the work is being done then i don't see anything wrong with it.
 
I don't really care when I'm working but when I was at film school and 50% of my class had to go out for a cigarette every hour or so and it took 10 mins. I was losing an hour a day of learning because of smoking and when I'm paying huge fees that really bugs me.
 
riotous said:
This is pretty much a non issue at most corporate work places.

For one almost everyone is salaried and exacting hours no longer matter and instead you are expected to complete a statement of work.

Also most corporate campuses have banned all smoking on their property; this makes it difficult to even be a smoker and work there (which is their goal, conspiring with health insurance providers to lower costs.)
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Well I don't see how salaries changes things. If me, Jack, and Jane are expected to complete project A before a deadline, and Jack is always taking smoke breaks. That leaves more work for Jane and me to do. The campus banning sounds good if the area is sufficiently large enough to make it unplayable. Do employers tell smokers "No, I don't care if you need a smoke. You get as many breaks as everybody else."
 
Two Words said:
Every job I've ever worked has had smokers. These smokers always got smoke breaks multiple times a shift. The managers that smoked also did the same. As a non-smoker, when should I start making a formal complaint? Some people say they have to go smoke every other hour. I've had employees start their shift for an hour after I've already worked 6 and they'll moan about needing a smoke break before I even get my lunch.

One manager has curbed taking smoke breaks by using an e-cig constantly within the workplace, which makes the area have a hint of cigarette smell to it. I don't see how it's "just water vapor" if I can smell it.

I don't plan to work this job as a career. It's just a part time job while I go to school. My concern extends to any career job I may have. Should I expect a more corporate job to allow smokers constant breaks while I pick up their slack?
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You'll find that coworkers won't take kindly to messing with them at work. Learn to deal with things.
 
Just take breaks if it bothers you that much. You're almost certainly entitled to them.

Personally I take cig breaks in lieu of a lunch hour to avoid stressed out non-smokers getting their knickers in a knot.

Two Words said:
Well I don't see how salaries changes things. If me, Jack, and Jane are expected to complete project A before a deadline, and Jack is always taking smoke breaks. That leaves more work for Jane and me to do. The campus banning sounds good if the area is sufficiently large enough to make it unplayable. Do employers tell smokers "No, I don't care if you need a smoke. You get as many breaks as everybody else."
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You'll have a small breakdown if Jane takes maternity leave.
 
Same deal here, couple of that don't smoke usually take a walk around the building couple times a day. Now, if management were to make us stop, then I'd be filing a complaint.
 
Can't say I've ever really thought about this. As someone else said, take breaks as well. A "go for a walk" break. Especially if you feel like you're picking up slack when they're gone.
 
You will just have to deal with it sadly. I believe that smoking exists much more highly around hourly paying job environments than it does when you get to places that mostly involve salary pay. I have experienced this the past few summers when working at my families manufacturing business. Tons of people would take smoke breaks every two hours or so. And at 2 pm was their real smoke break. So you could be sure at least 15- 20 people would be outside smoking real quick every day. I feel your pain. If I ever get the chance to run the business I will try and form incentives for not smoking. Can't stand it. Wastes the employers time and hurts the employees health. Everyone wins if they stop.
 
I allow for smoke breaks if my employees have a bit of down time but I also allow for employees to step out for a phone call or "take five" if they need a break.

To those employees who rightly mention that smokers get breaks due to their habit I let them know they are allowed to sit outside for a few minutes if they wish.

Many work environments do not allow for smoke breaks.

And for the vapor question, there are artificial and natural flavorings in e juice. That is what you smell. Its no different than someone making gross smelling food in the break room, although I find most liquids to have a pleasant aroma.
 
I used to use 'smoke breaks' to play Pokemon.

Now I use smoke breaks to actually smoke and work is not as magical.

Getting old and stressed sucks :(
 
People are saying to take more breaks, but that isn't feasible with the workload and time given. And management loooks down on non-smoking breaks beyond entitled breaks for some crazy reason.
 
During my 5 years as a store manager in retail, smokers got the exact same amount of breaks as anyone else. If they wanted a smoke outside of those times allowed in the contract - tough.

When I took over my second store, two members of staff quit in protest because I gave them disciplinary meetings for taking extra breaks to have a smoke. Sorry, but you do not get preferential treatment just because you want to have a fag every half hour.
 
riotous said:
This is pretty much a non issue at most corporate work places.

For one almost everyone is salaried and exacting hours no longer matter and instead you are expected to complete a statement of work.

Also most corporate campuses have banned all smoking on their property; this makes it difficult to even be a smoker and work there (which is their goal, conspiring with health insurance providers to lower costs.)

You'll also find in general far less people smoke who have an education and some modicum of success.

At least here in America.
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If there's a conspiracy somewhere in corporate America that has an end game that ultimately helps keep people alive, I'm all for it.

I don't smoke, I pay less in my health insurance premiums as a result. Smoking is banned in my workplace, which means that I don't have to breathe that crud in within several yards of even the outside entrance to the building.

Does it suck to be a smoker in a Standard Issue Office? Probably. But hey, if the inconvenience gets even one person to quit that's probably a good thing.
 
I usually don't complain unless I am dependent on someone else's work and they never seem to be at there desk, because they are out smoking.

Which is almost never.

Otherwise I just use it as an excuse to take a bunch of short breaks throughout the day, maybe walk around for a bit just to get out of my cube.
 
Two Words said:
Well I don't see how salaries changes things. If me, Jack, and Jane are expected to complete project A before a deadline, and Jack is always taking smoke breaks. That leaves more work for Jane and me to do. The campus banning sounds good if the area is sufficiently large enough to make it unplayable. Do employers tell smokers "No, I don't care if you need a smoke. You get as many breaks as everybody else."
Click to expand...

If someone is getting less work done it should either be noticed or pointed out. Everyone is expected to act like more of an adult in those environments which includes being able to communicate when co workers aren't getting enough done.

The fact it might be due to breaks is irrelevant due to the aforementioned salary; if your work isn't done you don't get to leave at some arbitrary shift end at most corporate jobs.

Granted that's an "in general" statement; some employers monitor breaks closely, track hours and have "shifts" despite being typical salary jobs (if a company does a lot of government contracts for instance they often are set up that way.).

I'd go as far as to say in most corporate environments "smoke breaks" aren't raaly "a thing." The very idea of taking that many breaks is sort of nonsense and its treated as such unless you happen to have a heavy smoker as a manager.. Which I've never run into.
 
John Kowalski said:
Would they be actually be working if they didn't have those breaks? Would staying in their workstation translate directly into more work being done? Would their efficiency go up or go down?

I've come to believe that one cigarette in the morning and another in the afternoon is a good balance, and in most places it's acceptable for most people to have those little breaks. That said, if the work is being done then i don't see anything wrong with it.
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This

I have a cigarette break in the morning and two in the afternoon wich are more than enough
Same stuff as the other non smokers collegue


OP go take a break as well, even a short walk can make a huge difference on your mood and work performance
 
Two Words said:
People are saying to take more breaks, but that isn't feasible with the workload and time given. And management loooks down on non-smoking breaks beyond entitled breaks for some crazy reason.
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are you sure about that?

or is your nose just out of joint over perceived special treatment?

Two Words: stop caring
 
If you ARE tangibly picking up their slack in some way, that's one thing, but if it's just in the interest of "fairness" or whatever, don't worry about it, focus on your own business.

Generally speaking, it's best to worry about your colleagues in terms of their results, not their process. Or, at least results first, then process (if the results suck).

Note: the above specifically refers to an office or corporate environment. If you're customer-facing in a store or something, then yeah, fuck em.
 
Get a spray bottle and go and spray water in smoker's faces whenever they go take unauthorized breaks. That will get them to break the habit.
 
Duane Cunningham said:
If you ARE tangibly picking up their slack in some way, that's one thing, but if it's just in the interest of "fairness" or whatever, don't worry about it, focus on your own business.

Generally speaking, it's best to worry about your colleagues in terms of their results, not their process. Or, at least results first, then process (if the results suck).
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Well me running around having to work faster while they lay back and relax for 10 minutes every couple of hours feels pretty tangible. It is worse that as a retail job, we are often busy and have short windows of no business to get other things done. They keep using those slow periods to smoke, leaving that work to me.
 
xsarien said:
If there's a conspiracy somewhere in corporate America that has an end game that ultimately helps keep people alive, I'm all for it.

I don't smoke, I pay less in my health insurance premiums as a result. Smoking is banned in my workplace, which means that I don't have to breathe that crud in within several yards of even the outside entrance to the building.

Does it suck to be a smoker in a Standard Issue Office? Probably. But hey, if the inconvenience gets even one person to quit that's probably a good thing.
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I'm all for it as well.

It's a habit I see no reason to "protect." I'm constantly having my eyes nose and throat irritated by smokers when I walk around. Such a selfish disgusting habit.

But they are conspiring to save money lol.
 
The glass that is half full says you're staying healthy by not smoking and they're killing themselves a little more every huff they take. I would inquire about ecigs tho as the vapor does have traces of chemicals left behind.
 
Two Words said:
Well me running around having to work faster while they lay back and relax for 20 minutes every couple of hours feels pretty tangible. It is worse that as a retail job, we are often busy and have short windows of no business to get other things done. They keep using those slow periods to smoke, leaving that work to me.
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Yeah, I edited that last line in as you were responding... if it's retail, that IS pretty jerky. But if it's not your permanent career path, I still wouldn't be the squeaky wheel. It's better to work hard in spite of the slackers. It WILL be noticed.
 
Frequent short breaks are actually a good thing, and by complaining simply because of the tobacco association, you discourage that right for all employees.
 
Jinkies said:
Frequent short breaks are actually a good thing, and by complaining simply because of the tobacco association, you discourage that right for all employees.
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This is not a stressful job that requires breaks. There's just a lot of tedious, easy labor that takes time.
 
Two Words said:
This is not a stressful job that requires breaks. There's just a lot of tedious, easy labor that takes time.
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Then quit. Youve already been posting your vendetta against 'smokers' when it's just about you not having a spine and calling out your lazy workers. I smoke. No one is ENTITLED to smoking breaks.
 
I go down for a smoke once an hour or so. Thankfully my workplace has no issue with this.

Salaried job, small office though.
 
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