Smoking at work........

**Chrisjan B** · 05-Mar-13, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by adrianh

Don't you think that the government has an obligation to stop the wastage of taxpayers money? Ok, I am sure that you agree that the government does.

So, should the government blindly let people give themselves lung cancer which will cost the tax payer a fortune in medical bills if the person were to go to a government hospital?
We say on the one hand that prevention is better than cure, but we sulk on the other hand when society tries to prevent us from harming ourselves.

It's a matter of having your cake and eating it, you want the government to look after your wellbeing but you don't want the government to stop you from harming yourself...

I have never expected the government to look after my wellbeing, but at the speed they are now mucking up the country I may need to - unfortunately they will not do a good job....

BTW- I have stopped smoking 7 months ago - I went outside for my smoke every time and did not impose on other people with my secondhand smoke.

**Newretailer** · 05-Mar-13, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by Vanash Naick

Legally its unfair discrimination to discriminate against a person who smokes i.e. the only reason you don't want to hire him/her is because they smoke! You may however have a code of conduct prohibiting smoking on your premises but your employee should be free to go and have a smoke in his/her tea time or lunch time.

Vanash, I am just curious on what basis that would be discrimination? I always thought discrimination is predefined: gender, race, disability, sexual orientation and age? If a person undertakes to only smoke during tea break or lunch, it will obviously be ok, but in my experience it doesn't work like that. If you are stressed you want to smoke more and before you know it it is several times a day.

Well done on giving up smoking, Chrismine. You may find you become more anti-smoking as time goes on

**adrianh** · 05-Mar-13, 07:52 PM

Chrismine - how often and for how long did you go outside to smoke?

Don't you think that you carried the smell back in with your clothing and breath?

**adrianh** · 05-Mar-13, 07:57 PM

Adrian, what if your potential employee tells you that he/she won't smoke in your premises at all and will only smoke during tea time and lunch time. Surely in this case this potential employee's smoking can no longer be an issue for employment as they not smoking at work?

Fair enough, yes then it will be fine. Very clever, you turned my harsh view into a more reasonable policy.

**Chrisjan B** · 05-Mar-13, 08:05 PM

I smoked about 10 a day and went outside every time - it took me about 2 minutes to finish a smoke.....

The smell did come in with me yes, but for some reason it was not as bad as other smokers......

Bad breath yes.

**zobs** · 05-Mar-13, 08:23 PM

Some Companies have policies regarding smoking at work.

**Phil Cooper** · 06-Mar-13, 08:37 AM

A number of Companies in the USA give non-smokers 3-4 days' extra leave every year.

They say studies show that is the time wasted by leaving work stations to go and smoke outside, and time off for smoking-related diseases.

**adrianh** · 06-Mar-13, 09:37 AM

There is no getting away from it. As a smoker who wants to smoke at work you expect the employer to make special allowances for YOUR disgusting VICE. As far as I am concerned it is YOUR VICE and your problem.

**Newretailer** · 06-Mar-13, 09:50 AM

I had a young lady working in my shop. During quiet times there is only person there. I forgot to ask her if she smokes. In the beginning sales were really good. After about two weeks it dropped dramatically, the worst it has ever been. Thankfully her mom opened a shop and she left. My neighbours then told me that she locked the shop frequently to go and smoke, staying away for 20 minutes at a time.

Of course in the same centre, whilst two guys went outside to smoke, the shop they worked in was stolen from. Big stuff, like TVs. Smoking does not only affect smokers.

I also know three people who got emphysema. Two died after living horrible lives for 10+ years. Another one is the husband of my one employee. She has been the breadwinner for many years as her husband is too sick to work. Me, I say thanks to the government. I stopped smoking because 1) it became so socially unacceptable, 2) it was so difficult to find places to smoke and 3) because of the expense. The biggest health gift I ever gave myself. No more bronchial pneumonia winter after winter. The strict laws have saved many lives.

**adrianh** · 06-Mar-13, 10:16 AM

@Nwretailer

My mother in law died from lung cancer. We spent the last 3 weeks at her bedside watching her wither away connected to a machine pumping 7 ampules of morphine into her each day.

And to think, people actually do this to themselves.

All things being equal, if you want to kill yourself that's fine by me but please put in your will that when you get lung cancer and become unable to care for yourself that you will be happy to swollow a cyanide tablet and save your family a lot of heartache...