Smoking break bollocks

Smoking at work: what are your rights and what can your boss do to help you quit?

Easy. My rights are I can have a fag on my break and if I did want to quit, why on earth would my boss get involved?

It’s likely your boss wouldn’t think twice if you stepped away from the desk to make a quick cup of tea but if you’re a smoker and taking regular breaks your habit could be costing your employer time and money.

In my job I can make a brew whenever I want (within reason) and I have a morning and afternoon break, along with a lunch hour, when I can smoke. It's the same for most people in our company and I would imagine it's the same for most people in most other companies.

With the exception of the pub industry, every job I've had has been like that (since smoking was banned in the workplace anyway)

If you are taking the piss an nipping out for many fags when you're not supposed to be, any boss worth his/her salt would put a stop to that

A study by The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) for the British Heart Foundation (2014) found that UK businesses lose around £8.7 billion and 136 hours of working time every year as a result of cigarette breaks.

These figures cannot possibly be true. If smokers only smoke on their designated breaks, there is no loss. If employers allow smokers to have extra breaks, there still is no loss, as the employer has agreed to allow it. If people are taking unauthorised breaks, it's up to the employer to stop it and as employers usually are on the ball about stuff like that, the loss from such activities will be small

These figures are clearly made up, probably by estimating ALL the time spent smoking at work and treating that as a cost, even if it's done on a break or at a time when a non-smoker would be doing something else

Legally, workers have the right to one uninterrupted 20 minute break during a working day (over six hours), however, unless a contract specifically states it, workers are not actually entitled to take smoking breaks. It’s really down to the employer’s discretion as to whether smokers can nip out for an unofficial break.

The one 20 minute break every six hours is the law, but most people do get more than that in a normal working day. Do you think this article is aimed at employees, or employers? I get the impression that this article does not exist to remind us employees that we get more breaks than the minimum allowed by law, I think it was written to remind employers that they do not need to allow us to have cigarette breaks and they can insist that we only get 20 minutes off every six hours if they want to.

I think the whole idea of this article was invented by some sour pussed anti-smoking whack-a-mole who wants to make it as hard as possible for us to smoke at work, by convincing employers not to allow it, even when they are currently happy to do so

Vapers are in the sights too

Employers are therefore currently free to decide whether e-cigarettes can be used in the workplace or in shared vehicles. However employers are encouraged to consider a different outdoor area for vaping so to not hinder those who are trying to quit or affect non-smoking workers indoors.

By who? Who is encouraging employers to make people vape outside? Sour pussed anti-smoking whack-a-moles.

And apparently your employer is supposed to help you quit. And they do this by just following the law apparently

How could your boss help you quit? Although businesses must display ‘no smoking’ signs in the workplace and ensure people don’t smoke in enclosed work spaces or shared vehicles there’s far more employers can do to help their staff kick the habit.

Doing what the tobacco control industry has demanded must be the law, is apparently your boss helping you quit smoking. So if I don't want to quit, can I smoke inside where it's warm?

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH explains, “Employers can do a lot to help their employees quit smoking, and it’s in their interests to do so. Smokers not only lose time through smoking breaks, they also take more time off sick.”

My sickness record speaks for itself and Debs Arnott can kiss my healthy white arse. How do smokers take more time off sick? "Can't come in today, I smoked too many fags last night"? Get lost

She adds: “By providing support and encouragement, including where possible onsite help to quit, employers can improve the health and wellbeing of their staff while creating a more profitable and productive workplace.”

Oh dear. Do they also have to encourage fat whaps to loose weight and folk who like a tipple at weekend to cut down on their booze? When do we start the calisthenics program on the roof terrace?

Allow staff to attend smoking cessation services during working hours without loss of pay.

But... But... Wouldn't that loose employers money? Give me strength!