End to cigarette breaks
Source: Julia Engel on Unsplash
Norfolk workers might not be paid for cigarette breaks
Workers could be forced to clock off when they go for a cigarette under proposals made by a Norfolk council.Breckland Council said the move aimed to make it fairer for individuals who did not smoke.
Staff will not be paid in future for the time they take to have a cigarette if the proposals are given the go-ahead at a meeting on Wednesday.
Simon Clark, from Smokers' lobby group Forest, said everyone was entitled to a break during work.
He said: "Are they going to introduce clocking in and off for people who go on the internet, on Facebook, or people who want to have a cup of coffee?
"I am sure there are some smokers who abuse the situation and go out too often but if that is happening that is a failure of management."
'Management failure'
William Nunn, leader of the Conservative-run council, said: "We want to make sure this policy is fair for all, including those that don't smoke and don't take advantage of breaks out of the building.
"We surveyed all of our staff and 75% responded and said we should get a policy through the authority which made it fair for all.
"We are not trying to stop smoking... what we are saying is when people go for a cigarette they should do it in their own time."
In 2005 Nottingham City Council introduced a ban on workers taking smoke breaks during working hours.
The following year, West Lancashire District Council approved a complete ban on smoking outside council premises.
Staff at Basildon Council must make up the time taken for smoke breaks, while at Waveney in Suffolk staff must clock in and out and in North Norfolk, staff are not allowed to smoke on site during office hours.
Elsewhere, workers at Carmarthenshire County Council already clock out for smoking breaks as do staff at Gateshead and Newcastle Councils.
Do you think that staff should be made to clock out when they go for a cigarette?
Comments
In my opinion, every worker, civil servant or private company, should have the same time to stop or break in all jobs. After, if you want to watch the internet, to smoke, to food pigeons or to talk with your colleagues, it doesn´t matter. You can do what you want do it. There are people "very important" who need time to smoke, to coffee and to rest but other "not important" have to work to those only. It´s unfair because those always invent excuses and they think that their colleagues believe them. The unique exception that companies must allow it is when workers feel sick o they have to do urgent thing.
Mr. Clark said that they are going to introduce clocking off for people who go on the internet, on Facebook, or want to have a cup of coffee. I wonder, it won´t be better that the manager checks amount and quality of working of each one of workers? In this way, you can know who is working and who is watching on Facebook. Workers can be in their job but they can be without working, for instance watching their mobile phone. The most important thing is that workers work.
Another thing would be that companies, governments and society try to ban that people smoke, generally speaking, as Spanish government (psoe) did it. Then, I liked it and I clapped it before and I continue clapping it.
See you.
I think there has to be some degree of flexibility and dare I say it, common sense with these sort of things. Some people go for a cig while other pass time speaking to colleagues or surfing the net. Perhaps the smoker gets more things done than the employee at their desk.
In my opinion, every worker, civil servant or private company, should have the same time to have a break as in all jobs. If you then want to look at the internet, to smoke, to feed pigeons or to talk with your colleagues, it doesn´t matter. You can do whatever you want. There are "very important" people who need time to smoke, to have a coffee and to rest but others who are "not so important" have to work. It´s unfair because they always invent excuses and they think that their colleagues believe them. The only exception that companies must workers feel sick or they have to do something urgent.
Mr. Clark said that they are going to introduce clocking off for people who go on the internet, on Facebook, or want to have a cup of coffee. I wonder if it would be better for the manager to check the amount and quality of working of each one of his workers. This way you can know who is working and who is on Facebook. Workers can be at work but not working, for instance watching their mobile phone. The most important thing is that workers work.
Another thing would be that companies, governments and society try to ban people from smoking just like the Spanish government (psoe) did. I supported it and I applauded it before and I continue applauding it.