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Company gives non-smokers six days holiday to compensate for cigarette breaks

independent.co.uk

101–110 of 130 posts

Re: Company gives non-smokers six days holiday to compensate for cigarette breaks

#101
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Based on what we know about vacation taking 6 days off reduces stress levels . You also assume people will be sitting during those days off ? They could stand or god forbid exercise . A much better idea to help people not sit is to make a walking break.

>A much better idea to help people not sit is to make a walking break. Isn't that what I said?

Yes sorry misread that part

Re: Company gives non-smokers six days holiday to compensate for cigarette breaks

#102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The reason your mom was complaining is that if she just went outside for a little walk, she'd probably get written up and eventually fired because only smokers are allowed to take those breaks at most workplaces. If you have a boss who's more fair about it, that's great, but I don't think it's typical. This is especially true for places on timeclocks, probably less if you're salaried.

Sorry, I don’t buy it. I think people tell themselves that to justify why those evil smokers have hearted the system! Obviously it is ok to take a break if people are taking breaks to smoke.

Take one of those jobs and find out.

Re: Company gives non-smokers six days holiday to compensate for cigarette breaks

#103
post #71
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Something about smoking or smokers just drives people a bit crazy. I think that there must be some sort of human need to have a group to hate, and that in the West today that unlucky group is smokers. One may say the worst things about them in any social or business setting — that they are stupid, filthy, foolish, whatever — without any risk of being contradicted, indeed with the expectation that everyone will agre…

> One may say the worst things about them in any social or business setting — stupid, filthy, foolish, whatever — without any risk of being contradicted, indeed with the expectation that everyone will agree with you Trump voters, conservatives in general often feel this as well.

Please do not try to taint this discussion with the idea that Trump voters are the real victims.

Re: Company gives non-smokers six days holiday to compensate for cigarette breaks

#104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I take it seriously enough that I hold my breath while walking past someone smoking.

That's honestly ridiculous. I'd understand if you just don't like the smell, but there's no real health risk involved in walking past someone smoking

I agree. It is ridiculous. But it's also ridiculous for someone to polute the air in a public space (it's different if they are off somewhere I can easily avoid by walking a different way). And yes, I also do not like the smell, but it's both. I also have minor breathing problems that I don't want aggravated.

Re: Company gives non-smokers six days holiday to compensate for cigarette breaks

#105
post #99
post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

3$* 5days * 48weeks * 40years (65 years - 25 years) = 28,800$ before investments. However, caffeine is a larger problem. It's very additive with strong withdrawal symptoms, but giving it up for 6 months has significant mental health benefits. Unless you enjoy black coffee it often adds up to several hundred calories per day.

Aside from sleepiness for a few days and a (lack of) caffeine headache for a day, what are the strong withdrawal symptoms? I honestly don't think there are any and have never figured out why some people are so against coffee. If I'm wrong, please tell me what I am missing. Thanks. I agree the sugar and milk/creamer add a fair amount of calories to your diet.

You know, Erdos (great mathematician) said that minds like his had to be constantly caffeinated (and sometimes involved with the potent psychadelic) to maximize their potential. Caffeine is good for productivity, or Mate (Yerba Mate).

Re: Company gives non-smokers six days holiday to compensate for cigarette breaks

#106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps some difference between countries or companies. Everywhere I have worked the breaks were defined in the work contract. Right under my salaries, benefits, etc. I have a clause that more or less says: "You are entitled to take a 30-minute break after working five consecutive hours. This 30 minutes can be split through the day but not used to leave early or lengthen your lunch break." Anyone taking more breaks t…

It's insanity. If I found myself working for such an employer I would immediately label them as my enemy and nope the hell out of there as soon as possible. I wouldn't talk with my friends or family, I wouldn't watch youtube or TV series, I wouldn't even walk - I would always run, as a character in a videogame, and I would chew my food very fast looking nowhere but the dish I'm eating. All of that just to squeeze out…

This type of phrasing isn't uncommon on job contracts in the UK, and probably elsewhere in Europe, but the enforcement will vary greatly.

An assembly line worker will stick to the letter, a software developer will never consider it.

Re: Company gives non-smokers six days holiday to compensate for cigarette breaks

#107
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A friend of mine said that when they were young they went to a museum and saw two lungs: one of a daily smoker, and one of someone who simply lived in a dense city with poor air quality. The lungs looked almost the same shade of gray. Of course, the smoker's lungs were worse, but air pollution from the bus is not exactly good for you.

It's not just that there are so many other risks present in cities -- e.g. it's probably more dangerous just to be walking there in the first place than it is to pass a smoker -- it's that, like, how potent do you imagine cigarette smoke to be that just passing near some every once in a while is going to significantly harm you? I can't even begin to imagine what kind of model of the world you'd have to be working wit…

I guess I just equate smoking with poison. I think it's equally illogical to be purposefully ingesting poison on a daily basis. For myself, I prefer zero purposeful ingestion, even if I am ignorant of the effects.

Re: Company gives non-smokers six days holiday to compensate for cigarette breaks

#108
post #51
post #42

As a non-smoker I used to go on the smoke breaks with coworkers. Not as an excuse for time away from work but rather to get up and brainstorm things. That turned out to be more productive than stay seated and let my wheels spin in my brain. Nowadays we use the coffee/watercooler break but it's not quite the same as getting out of the building, feeling the outside air against the skin (hot or cold) and getting a chang…

You know about the dangers of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_smoking ?

I think it was Sir Richard Doll (the scientist that first proved the link between tobacco smoking and cancer), that, after a lifetime of research, claimed being around smokers didn't concern him in the slightest. Spending significant amounts of time in confined, smoke-filled spaces might be a different story though.

Re: Company gives non-smokers six days holiday to compensate for cigarette breaks

#109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Twenty rats in each exposure group were exposed to the smoke seven hours a day for 21 days. The method of exposure was ‘‘head only’’, meaning that the rats were placed head first in snug fitting plastic tubes with a screened head portion that projected into a duct through which the smoky air flowed. Try the same with car exhaust and see how it goes

Ah yes, the ol’ “what about” argument. “Second-band smoke is dangerous.” “OH YEAH? WHAT ABOUT CAR EXHAUST, HUH!?” Yes, that’s bad too, but we were talking about cigarette smoke.

Actually, we're talking about standing next to someone for 5 minutes, once or thrice a day, outside, while they smoke a cigarette. @amai was talking about blowing smoke into your face in an enclosed area for 7 hours a day.

Re: Company gives non-smokers six days holiday to compensate for cigarette breaks

#110

I've never understood this. Don't everyone get the same breaks? Are smokers considered as having a health condition and thus granted extra breaks? It's not as if the boss came in one day and told people "Everyone gets 2 x 15 minutes of breaks a day. Except for smokers, you guys can take all the breaks you want." If my employer gives me 2 x 15 minutes of breaks a day, I'll take those even if I don't smoke.

In my experience, it was never 15 minutes - more like 5. Also, in terms of total time it never seemed all that different from the people continually visiting the water cooler or getting hot drinks. It just seems more visible with the smokers because they actually leave the building.
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