Smoking Breaks....How many?

Buellguy

Beancounter wrote: »

Had a little chat with my boss this morning, apparently he reckons a smoke break is a legal requirement!!! I have to grin and bear it then. Not happy but what can I do.

She's had 6 breaks already up till 12 noon.

Not AFAIK, now a break from working at DSE equipment is, but that break doesn't mean going for a break it just means a break from the screen

Takeaway_Addict

Beancounter wrote: »

Had a little chat with my boss this morning, apparently he reckons a smoke break is a legal requirement!!! I have to grin and bear it then. Not happy but what can I do.

She's had 6 breaks already up till 12 noon.

Ask your boss to prove this because its a load of crock and the fact he isn't checking on it is also just poor!

Takeaway_Addict

Buellguy wrote: »

Not AFAIK, now a break from working at DSE equipment is, but that break doesn't mean going for a break it just means a break from the screen

This is correct, the boss should be telling them that if they want a break from the screen they should be doing other work such as filing or faxing etc

Beancounter

I could take this further with HR but if they clamped down on all smokers I'd be hated. The proportion of smokers in the company is astounding.

cmw1212

Beancounter wrote: »

I could take this further with HR but if they clamped down on all smokers I'd be hated. The proportion of smokers in the company is astounding.

Don't envy your position although it seems wrong that you should be thinking you need to approach HR- your manager should be having a word with the colleague. (Not that I am a manager but if i was I think I would be quite a nice one but this person would be getting told "Shape up or ship out" by now!) Chances are that even if they changed the smoke break rules the colleague would find some other excuse to skive half the day anyway.

mazza111

I'm on the fence with this one. Although 10 seems really excessive.

When I worked in the call and collect office at RM. I gave the manager a choice, he could train someone up to cover my tea/lunch breaks or I would take a quick smoke when I could. Rarely ate at work unless it was the run up to Christmas or the late night, which was a 12 hour (minimum) shift. Didn't take a break to eat, just ate between customers and had a smoke between customers. I'm pretty sure RM done better out of it than I did time wise. If I had to do it over again, I'd make sure I was taking my full breaks and make them have cover for it in all honesty.

So I guess what I mean is, if she was making the time up, then I wouldn't have a problem with it, if not.. then I probably would.

Evilm

Beancounter wrote: »

Had a little chat with my boss this morning, apparently he reckons a smoke break is a legal requirement!!! I have to grin and bear it then. Not happy but what can I do.

She's had 6 breaks already up till 12 noon.

Tell your boss you have taken up smoking, take breaks like she does and go round the other side of the building from the smokers (in between her breaks obviously, not at the same time). If he sees you and you aren't smoking tough for him - why should it be a legal requirement for you to smoke on a "smoke break".

Warning: This is rocking the boat and may have consequences.

gardner1

Beancounter wrote: »

Had a little chat with my boss this morning, apparently he reckons a smoke break is a legal requirement!!! I have to grin and bear it then. Not happy but what can I do.

She's had 6 breaks already up till 12 noon.

i think your boss hasn't got the balls to confront smokers and is trying to fob you off
if i were you i would start taking toilet breaks or similar the same time as smokers

MissSarah1972

Beancounter wrote: »

Had a little chat with my boss this morning, apparently he reckons a smoke break is a legal requirement!!! I have to grin and bear it then. Not happy but what can I do.

She's had 6 breaks already up till 12 noon.

It is a legal requirement? So you can have a break for addictions. Where do they get that from?

So the legal requirement is for all staff who want to take up smoking and it's a paid break?

Like suggested tell them you are taking up smoking and join her for all these breaks.

If everyone was a smoker I bet then it would not be legal.

MissSarah1972

a good read

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3998

ask for a shopping break or a quick 15 mins on the net when they are smoking

Says the only thing by law is this

It's little surprise that many employers have been vexed about all this lost time. But what does the law say? The Working Time Regulations stipulate that employees (with a few exceptions) are entitled to one unpaid 20-minute break during a working day of longer than six hours.