COFFEE BREAKS

**Phil Cooper** · 10-Feb-12, 10:01 AM

Easy solutions.

1. Do not serve Nescafe. Serve Ricoffee. It tastes like sh*t, very few people will drink it - and the time problem goes away.

2. SMOKING - a number of companies in UK and USA now give non-smoking staff an extra 2-3 days' leave a year over smokers. They say it makes up for (a) the time they waste leaving the office to smoke, and (b) the extra sick days the smokers take.

**tec0** · 10-Feb-12, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by Phil Cooper

(b) the extra sick days the smokers take.

Proof it…

I know a smoker and he never had a sick day ever never took leave and only smoke in the morning before work at lunch time and when he goes home. The company must put him on forced leave every year because he simply don't go on vacations "take time off"

And he is not the only smoker with this type of behaviour.

Fact is a sickly person stays a sickly person and it was even pointed out by US "United States" government officials that smoking got credited with a lot of health problems but very few was substantiated after investigation.

Also I like Ricoffee

**Miro Bagrov** · 10-Feb-12, 12:58 PM

Reminder:
1. We are squabbling about the lives of other people over which we have no control, instead of what a business owner can do himself (which is in his control).

2. Your people are not the problem - your process is the problem. You think people must behave orderly and know what they must do without any input other than a small salary? This is possible in another universe than ours.
Re-organize your kitchen, your supervision, your purchasing method, your locations, your duty list of staff, your lunch break system -- everything from a - b. Align everything with your company goals.

3. Focus on the real cause. If your staff hate you or the work they do, they smoke more and steal more.
This is a good thing to discuss:
According to Equity Theory:
They argue that every employee compares his input and output ratio to that of other employees. Imagine that one employee sees the other does not work all day, but earns that extra R1000 p/m more. They immediately consider that some injustice is being done (either consciously or subconsciously). They will then adjust their own performance accordingly. They will either expect a raise (increase input) or they will become less productive (decrease output). They can do this by stealing, by taking extra days off, by walking to the bathroom more often.. etc.
Stop looking at the symptom and look at the cause closer. Maybe it's time to appraise people better on their accomplishments or time to stop favoritism.

In any case, I think the person who asked the question lost interest in our answers long ago

**adrianh** · 10-Feb-12, 01:26 PM

I think that smokers should be fired for stinking up the place. I also think that one should serve coffee laced with a laxative. My special coffee will teach them that speaking crap at the coffee bar all day long has consequences. Come to think of it, I could also prepare company cigarrettes that have a similar "cleansing" effect. The more you smoke or drink coffee, the more you are "cleansed". I have an even better idea, considering all of my ideas to date, one could of course keep the coffee drinkers and smokers and move them into the bathrooms, now they can stink up the place and talk crap all day long without anybody other than the kokkeroaches being inconvenienced. Wow, this is getting even better, union meetings could also be moved into the new venue.

**AndyD** · 10-Feb-12, 04:24 PM

I love smoking. It used to annoy me that I was addicted so I quit for a few years. Once I had proved that the grip wasn't unbreakable I started smoking again with renewed vim and vigour. I find blowing smoke in peoples faces is a great way to break the ice especially with strangers when you're not sure how to approach them; the imaginary barriers just fall away and it's like you've been lifelong buddies before you know it.

**Just Gone** · 10-Feb-12, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by AndyD

I love smoking. It used to annoy me that I was addicted so I quit for a few years. Once I had proved that the grip wasn't unbreakable I started smoking again with renewed vim and vigour. I find blowing smoke in peoples faces is a great way to break the ice especially with strangers when you're not sure how to approach them; the imaginary barriers just fall away and it's like you've been lifelong buddies before you know it.

So you are also adding to the "classic non productive" thread? Good for u. ......
.........

**Dave A** · 10-Feb-12, 08:28 PM

This thread has at times had me rolling on the floor laughing, and at others me going WTF - with an occasional "good point" inbetween.

I really should get around to adding a popcorn smilie to the collection.

**Just Gone** · 10-Feb-12, 09:08 PM

Well good - glad we can put a smile on your dial. ................. Now where is tec with some more "funny" ludacrous "statements" ...?
:-)

**adrianh** · 10-Feb-12, 10:30 PM

My brother said to me one day (many years ago) "you get up in the morning and have 5 cigarettes and get your Nicotine levels up, then you have 4 cups of coffee and get your Caffiene levels up, then you race to work and road rage all the other drivers and get your Adrenaline levels up. No wonder you are a raving loonatic when you arrive at work....Hmmm...I clearly remember getting into lots of $h1t whilst in the corporate environment.