Smoking at work........

[tec0]

Well as I sit here at 11:49 "typing not yet posting" two gunshots where fired.

So really smoking will kill us?? Ja nee kyk

I still think if you are a business owner crying about smoking and no smoking then I would imagine that you don't really care for the product and or service. Because if product and service was a priority then the last thing on your mind would be smoking. I say this because you get good and bad employees that smoke and good and bad employees that are none smokers. So my concern would be "how do I get rid of the bad employees" Not cry about who is smoking!

So really you can create your policies and force-feed them to your employees. Really in the end of the day it is what it is...

[Darkangelyaya]

DUDE...!!!
I missed all the fun!

[tec0]

DUDE...!!!
I missed all the fun!

Nah... You didn't miss much...

[zobs]

I would like to take this opportunity to Thank everyone who has contributed in giving feedback on my post.

Thank You!

[adrianh]

DarkAngelYaya - You did miss all the fun. Ok - watch out for my thread on buying drugs via the net....I'm sure we'll start the fun right up again!

[twinscythe12332]

@zobs I think smoking at work is fine, as long as the environment permits it. Plenty of the for/against comments above make valid arguments (minus the war that apparently has broken out), so I'd have to say common sense would need to rule. That and an understandable tolerance.

[elaine25]

Morning All

i just wanted to know what I can do as a non-smoker in my workplace.
My fellow workers have been here much longer than myself and they smoke all day non-stop.
I share my office and even in the open plan area they just continue to smoke.
Is their anything I can do anon to get them to stop?
It is a small office and I am worried that by pushing this with the boss I may be alienated!

[AndyD]

I hate inconsiderate smokers especially when there's lots of them together, they're like pack animals. Maybe just ask them to designate a smoking area and stick to it.

[tec0]

Well the latest thing on our Radio station is people will only employ none drinkers/smoker with own transport have access to bank account have a code 8/10 driver's licence. Must be hard worker must be prepared to work weekends including Sundays. Must be between ages 21 and 25.

So as far as discrimination goes how many of us is able to apply for that job? The reality is companies are looking for the perfect worker in an imperfect world. Now the scary part is the fact that work is very hard to get. Especially with this “uncertainty” in the mining industry.

Ever wondered why South Africa is so low on the investment list and places like Botswana is so high on the same list?

Most people think that “toleration” is beneath them somehow. Lets see how far this goes...

[Blurock]

As an employer it is your right to look for the best candidate for the job. Put yourself in the employers' shoes and see if you will tolerate coming late, extended lunch breaks, extended smoke breaks, unproductivity etc.

We all moan if we do not get what we pay for. The employer also moans when he pays for a job that does not get done. You will too.

[adrianh]

So as far as discrimination goes how many of us is able to apply for that job? The reality is companies are looking for the perfect worker in an imperfect world. Now the scary part is the fact that work is very hard to get. Especially with this “uncertainty” in the mining industry.

I don't tolerate people who feel sorry for themselves and live off pity. Adapt or DIE; that is the way of the world.

[tec0]

Again I know smokers that do well and there work is second to none. I also know none smokers that is useless on a good day... But I am not here to tell you what you may or may not do. Lets be clear about this.

Secondly I am so very tired of this “do or die” attitude? It is always “ I this or I that” Who are you in the first place? Seriously who are you in someone else's world? Who are you to say anything about anyone? Just because you have life experiences it doesn't give you the right to judge people.

How would you feel if you or your children are judged by someone with a corrupt moral compass? Anyone can become a “EMO”, “Goth” or a victim of a harsh unforgiving act and they will NEVER be the same again. But they are not allow to feel anything because you say so...

Yes you are a boss only because people make use of your services. What if someone judge you for something stupid or unimportant and you lose it all? How would you feel? How will it effect your mind your livelihood?

Honestly come back to planet earth and live and let live.

[KimH]

Some perspective:

I have been a smoker since the age of 14 - that's 29 years as a smoker.
Yesterday my doctor confirmed that I am in the early stages of emphysema, do I feel self pity or self-loathing? No! It's self inflicted plain and simple. I don't have regrets - the choices we make all have consequences, it's now time for me to face mine.
Quitting an addiction 29 years in the making is no easy feat - challenging times ahead indeed. But, it's all good - challenges are what I thrive on.

With regards to the OP - IMHO companies have few enough rights as it is with regards to labour issues - I feel that they have the absolute right to make their own policies with regards to smoking in the work place and the people they employ should respect that right. Most of my clients do have designated smoking areas for the employees to smoke during tea and lunch breaks only which is a fair compromise I think.

My 2c

[tec0]

And there in we find a truth. The reality is your work will take up about 12 hours of your day. You will be compensated according to contract and you must abide by the employer's policy and work ethic. In total you will work about 84 hours a week with 1 day off per month depending on your agreement.

Within the hours worked you will be introduced to stresses, demands and expectations that must be met at all times. Depending on work ethic you will face both fair and unfair situations. You have rights but they are secondary in most cases. I think we all have seen our share of unfair dismissals.

As you work your 336 hours you find that the 24 hours rest you get is just not enough. But you cannot complain nor do anything. Your family structure suffers to the point where you find yourself in situations such as drug abuse, substance abuse and in some cases violence.

Your employer does not care for such things and will dismiss you if you become there problem. Another simple truth that we had to accept. Yes you can leave your job at any-time but we all know this is not the truth because you will face financial suicide. Thus the reality, your choices as an employee are fictional at best.

Yet the employer find itself in a higher much more powerful position thus there demands and attitude reaches a point where only perfection will do. Only the perfect drone may have work. To this point there ego demands a higher and higher lifestyle. Now we are at a point in time where less then 2% of the world's population have more wealth and power then the other 98% combined.

How did this happen?

The simple answer is “we the 98% let it happen” Thus this conversation will continue to a point where the victor will always be the wealthy. To this end our suicide statistics are higher then ever before. This will continue until a human life is valued again.

As seen here in this Thread, many employers no longer values anything but there own opinion. So sadly we have a long away to go until they value there fellow human again.

[adrianh]

Ag shame man, it must be hard not to have the the right to stink up my world. If you want to exist in my world then you have to abide by my rules...it's quite simple actually...

The smokers are welcome to do so elsewhere, I don't care, just as long as they don't do it in my world.

Remember the most important motto; "Adapt or die"

So tec0, did you ever do national service, I bet you didn't, you didn't get to demand squat, you didn't get to sulk or whine all the time, you simply got all that nonsense mo3red out of you. You whine, you get a opf@k, you whinge, you get a opf@k, you demand....no you don't dare...

Ag shame man....the world is just so mean....