Smokers banned from using lifts

tomtontom

bluenoseam wrote: »

Mints & deoderant from my experience do nothing but highlight the smell & often add an even more unpleasant aroma - just like the guys in PE who used to think a half can of Lynx was as good as a shower! I dislike having to share lifts with smokers & ultimately you have to look at the common sense here, it's annoy a minority OR annoy a majority.

Then you would also ban those with BO, that have eaten smelly foods etc? Who decides what is an annoyance? Where would it end?

Tiddlywinks

american_dreamer wrote: »

Thanks, I do appreciate the unpleasant smell for others... I always use breath mints and body spray to counteract this..................

Also not allowed is telephone calls... does anyone know if ACAS have an email address, I can only find a telephone number on their site

Firstly, I think body sprays tend to just add to the smell and not mask it... which is then even worse.

As to phones - you're at work to, eh, work. What do you think people used to do before mobiles were invented? They just got on with their jobs and any emergencies were notified over the company landline and anything else waited til knocking off time.

Retrogamer

Seems a bit vague to me. What if someone hasn't just had a cigarette but was with smokers and smells like smoke?
How long is "just had"? 5 minutes? 15 minutes?

I don't use the lifts at my work often but when i do, it really does smell bad when smokers get in them. As much as i dislike it, i would never complain or raise it to anyone for the reasons mentioned above. Some perfumes and body odours can be harder to put up with than smelling of
smoke.
I wonder if it's ok to pass gas in the lift

american_dreamer

I had hoped this would not be a smoker v non smoker debate... while I will continue my efforts to cause as little infliction to non smokers as possible, I will politely move on...


Regardless of odour preferences or distastes - there is also a no perfume, deodorant or aftershave at your desks rule, although they have not banned cooking fish at lunchtimes, even though it makes the majority physically gag (cooking area is open plan to office space) - the question is can they enforce this or do I have grounds to appeal?


Thanks.

ohreally

I'd rather share a lift with someone whos just dropped their guts than a smoker.

GwylimT

Surely the lifts should only be used by those with mobility issues or people with large/heavy packages, it is only five floors after all.

bluenoseam

tomtontom wrote: »

Then you would also ban those with BO, that have eaten smelly foods etc? Who decides what is an annoyance? Where would it end?

BO yes unquestionably as there's no need for that, eating smelly food however is not as big a problem as it's only really an issue when someone's talking. Keep their mouth closed & it's not an issue unless they happen to have put half their balti down their shirt!

PenguinOfDeath

If only....

Tiddlywinks

GwylimT wrote: »

Surely the lifts should only be used by those with mobility issues or people with large/heavy packages, it is only five floors after all.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Back in the real world where people tend to take the easy option...

Owain_Moneysaver

cazziebo wrote: »

Actually- you're right - it would be discriminatory for people unable to use stairs due to mobility or other health reasons.

It would be difficult to prove indirect discrimination for the groups you mention because smoking isn't significantly more prevalent in any of these groups.

However, the effect of the ban would directly discriminate against people with disabilities, and while smoking may not be more prevalent amongst people with disabilities, disability is likely to be more prevalent among smokers due to respiratory and circulatory disease.

The correct course of action is to inform the employer in writing that any implied change in the conditions of employment by this rule is expressly not accepted and neither is it accepted that any such building 'rules' can be regarded as a condition of employment.