Smoking and Why employees get special privileges

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by dobbles

thats great in theory but rarely works that way. thats what i am saying, smokers have long been able to get more time for breaks than others. especially if the boss smokes (as has been noted).

Then bitch to the boss about the unfairness of it. Its an interoffice thing more then anything else. If they're giving breaks to smokers, then as a non smoker ask for the same breaks.

[GreatWhiteEbola]

Oh, the life of a hall monitor...

[Ethaniel]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Then bitch to the boss about the unfairness of it. Its an interoffice thing more then anything else. If they're giving breaks to smokers, then as a non smoker ask for the same breaks.

Sometimes difficult if the boss is the one taking those liberties and breaks and expects you to put in the work.

Also another poster asked why I care.

Well I care about the company I work for and I want everyone to pull their weight. personally I think 30% of the workforce that Smokes is pulling about a 4 day work week instead of the non-smokers 5 day. Yes I don't think they are pulling their weight.

[Fobulous]

I am somewhat indifferent on this subject; however, I find it hard to believe that some of the smokers on this website don't understand the arguement at hand.

If your job is completely isolated to you (i.e. no other communication with anyone) than I can understand that it is irrelevant how many breaks you take as a smoker just as long as you get your job done. If you take 5 smoke breaks a day and you have to stay an extra 30 minutes after your normal time to leave than so be it...

However, with that being said... in most workplaces there is constant interactaion amongst employees. If I have some work to do... chances are I am going to have to work with several other individuals to complete the project at hand (rig superintendants, AFE admin, mineral land, JV, etc.) If anyone along the chain is out smoking than that all of a sudden slows down the completion of the project. Basically, what I am trying to say is that it is irrelevant how hard of a worker a smoker is... if they are interacting with other individuals throughout a given day, chances are it will slow down the process each time they take a smoke break.

Just my 2 cents.

[jammies]

I learned to hang out with the sales guys when they went for a smoke as that's when you get all the good gossip about who's doing what to whom. That's also where I learned never to anger the sales staff as they are all vicious grudgeholders with plenty of free time over 2 hour lunches and "client meetings" to plan their revenges.

You might even say my "smoke" breaks were the most productive time of the day - that's when I was truly plugged into the company, as opposed to when I was sitting at my desk and wondering how to get past the web filter to look at dirty pictures.

[GreatWhiteEbola]

Originally Posted by Fobulous

I am somewhat indifferent on this subject; however, I find it hard to believe that some of the smokers on this website don't understand the arguement at hand.

If your job is completely isolated to you (i.e. no other communication with anyone) than I can understand that it is irrelevant how many breaks you take as a smoker just as long as you get your job done. If you take 5 smoke breaks a day and you have to stay an extra 30 minutes after your normal time to leave than so be it...

However, with that being said... in most workplaces there is constant interactaion amongst employees. If I have some work to do... chances are I am going to have to work with several other individuals to complete the project at hand (rig superintendants, AFE admin, mineral land, JV, etc.) If anyone along the chain is out smoking than that all of a sudden slows down the completion of the project. Basically, what I am trying to say is that it is irrelevant how hard of a worker a smoker is... if they are interacting with other individuals throughout a given day, chances are it will slow down the process each time they take a smoke break.

Just my 2 cents.

Does your company conduct meetings in the washroom? What if someone suffers from TBS, and chooses to drink copious amounts of water/coffee? Have the bathroom breaks been monitored? If not, someone should get on that right away! I nominate the OP. Next weeks assignment, hang out by the women's washroom and log in and out times. You'll be the hit of the office... I just quit smoking so I may be hyper-sensetive to this debate...

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Ethaniel

Why do they get special privileges?

No offense, but this sounds a little petty.

What do you care?

I'd say you have two options.

1) Take up smoking
2) Ignore the smoking habits of your colleagues. Don't watch them go for breaks, don't time their breaks, don't concern yourself with their breaks, just flat out ignore the whole smoking phenomenon.


In other news, one time I was taking part in a sociology experiment to benefit a children's charity and I had to watch an episode of "Friends". In that television program an attractive young woman, I believe her character's name was "Rachel", actually took up smoking to get closer to her boss (a smoker).

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Ethaniel

Well I care about the company I work for and I want everyone to pull their weight. personally I think 30% of the workforce that Smokes is pulling about a 4 day work week instead of the non-smokers 5 day. Yes I don't think they are pulling their weight.

Then take it to upper management if it is out of true concern for the company and not just petty unfairness. Make a proper statement and claim with examples and proof.

Because you know, it's more productive than an internet forum.

[4X4]

I find it funny how in the OP, lunch breaks were included into the final calculation that added up to smokers working a 4 day week and the non smokers working a 5 day week. Are the non smokers not taking their lunch breaks? Yeah. Thought so.

So the difference is half a day. I suppose that that is a reason to start to feel a little bitter. But before you go on crying about it, know that smokers usually have to cram more work into smaller timeframes. I mean, if there's something due at 3pm, they're not going to just get up and leave. They'll just get it done faster so that they can go have their smoke.
OK, maybe not all situations are like that. But you, Mr. OP, have already said that smoking has not affected your workload. So WTF are you whining about? I bet that 95% of the people that see it the way you do actually sloooow down and work at a more casual pace because you're so choked that Bob from down the hall is taking more breaks than you are.
Lol. You've spent all week monitoring smokers to determine how much LESS work they're doing than you are. Yet you're whining about it on a messageboard during work hours. The absolute epitome of noticing the sliver in someone else's eye and not noticing the log in your own. Grow up, dude. If you're so special you'll probably get a promotion sooner than the evil smokers.

[DuffMan]

why don't you just read a book, play an online game or hang out on an online forum for the duration of their smoke breaks. That would make you feel better.

I don't know anyone who takes coffee breaks anymore, who doesn;t smoke. The days of going to the lunch room for a coffee and a smoke for 15 minutes are long gone.

So, if you don't smoke, then you probably don't get your 15 minute break, unless you do any online banking, personal phone calls etc, on company time.

[Ice]

Well, management can only handle what they're aware of. What I can say, is as companies are all evaluating how to minimize costs to stay in business, they will eventually look at EVERY cost savings. My work is currently monitoring the length of smoke breaks and the frequency, because we have had four layoffs and we need bodies doing their work. When you need to get documents from a Project Manager but he is outside smoking every hour, it becomes a burden on every other department. When you have to make tough decisions, do you keep the person who is off smoking for 15 minutes of every hour, or do you keep the person who is at their desk doing their job without taking extra breaks?

Just an FYI, I'm too busy at work to go on the internet. I never check in until I get home.

Interestingly, there was an employee who was suspected of using the internet at work for personal purposes. There was disciplinary action handed to this person because after monitoring, it was determined there was an average of 40 minutes per day being spent online that was not business related. Now, is it fair that this person gets written up for slacking off on the internet but a smoker who spends more than 40 minutes per day slacking off outside in the parking lot suffers no disciplinary action?

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Ethaniel

Well I care about the company I work for and I want everyone to pull their weight. personally I think 30% of the workforce that Smokes is pulling about a 4 day work week instead of the non-smokers 5 day. Yes I don't think they are pulling their weight.

Wait until you discover that people are surfing the net at work and talking on the phone. A 2 day work week might be a better estimate :P Lot's of people manage to waste time in various ways, smoking isn't the greatest of them. And the people who are sitting at their desks all day aren't necessarily working 100% of the time either.

My experience with the downtown office world is that a lot of time is wasted in general. Most of it on internet for guys, internet/phone for girls, and coffee/smoke/snack/etc breaks for both.

[badradio]

I feel taking smoke breaks give me time to reorganize my thoughts on a job and think of new ideas, I wouldn't say it's counter-productive at all. Even if you go out with a co-worker it's usually job talk for the most part. So go out for "fresh-air" breaks and get off your high horse.

[GreatWhiteEbola]

I waste more time as a non-smoker. When I smoked, I would diligently time my breaks and be precise about them. Now, as a non-smoker, I find myself day dreaming, searching the web, et cetera. Generally, I'm a thief of time.

I could sure use a smoke!!!

[Ethaniel]

Originally Posted by 4X4

I find it funny how in the OP, lunch breaks were included into the final calculation that added up to smokers working a 4 day week and the non smokers working a 5 day week. Are the non smokers not taking their lunch breaks? Yeah. Thought so.

So the difference is half a day. I suppose that that is a reason to start to feel a little bitter. But before you go on crying about it, know that smokers usually have to cram more work into smaller timeframes. I mean, if there's something due at 3pm, they're not going to just get up and leave. They'll just get it done faster so that they can go have their smoke.
OK, maybe not all situations are like that. But you, Mr. OP, have already said that smoking has not affected your workload. So WTF are you whining about? I bet that 95% of the people that see it the way you do actually sloooow down and work at a more casual pace because you're so choked that Bob from down the hall is taking more breaks than you are.
Lol. You've spent all week monitoring smokers to determine how much LESS work they're doing than you are. Yet you're whining about it on a messageboard during work hours. The absolute epitome of noticing the sliver in someone else's eye and not noticing the log in your own. Grow up, dude. If you're so special you'll probably get a promotion sooner than the evil smokers.

Seems to me like you know every Smoker and every person out there then. Man this is so untrue in most cases. When i see people going for a smoke because they are stressed out about a deadline instead of working through it and then submit it late.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I can do that 8 times, because I don't need to leave my desk (private office)

You can masturbate at your desk but you can't smoke there! For shame!

[Ryan Coke]

So smokers work less than everyone else, then spend time on the internet justifying their laziness. Doesn't sound like a group to be threatened by.

[Bobblehead]

[Ethaniel]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

You can masturbate at your desk but you can't smoke there! For shame!

Agreed Major problem with the system !
Revolt!

Once again my issue is with the people that are taking advantage as smoke breaks and not doing their job properly.
I agree that some smokers do a fantastic job and get it done right. My issue is the ones that do not.

[ShaolinFlame]

Something really offended me in this thread.

The common idea that workers who smoke in a team oriented blue collar environment leave their coworkers out to dry. This does happen, but to blame on smoking itself is ludicrous. I work in a very busy kitchen where about 20-30% of our cooks smoke. No one ever leaves the line when we are incredibly busy because we are all responsible people. Sure, some people in other businesses do apparently (Taco Bell...), but that doesn't mean you can just generalize all smokers into that category. Those people are irresponsible because they are irresponsible people, not because they smoke. This generalization irritates me to no end. And to be honest, anybody who does this is not going to get promoted or go very far in the service industry. Thank god for the free market.

People just assume that every smoker is the same evil person. It's OK though, I am used to being shamed on the sidewalks of Vancouver...