Should smokers' breaks be deducted from their lunch hours?

Seems fair to me. You can take time to smoke, but you don’t get more total time “off” than a non-smoker. Otherwise, the non-smoker is essentially subsidizing the smoker (which they also do with respect to health insurance).

All employees should have the same amount of time away from the jjob. If they choose to smoke during those times, that’s up to them.

I’m an ex smoker but I still take my 5–10 minute break in the morning and afternoon, everyone is entitled to a little time away from their desk occasionally and I’m sure that a few short breaks can increase productivity as people come back to their desks refreshed.

Are they gonna time shit breaks next?

I agree with @RareDenver. I’m not a smoker, but I think a little “uunofficial” time away from an employee’s desk is not only reasonable and fair, it’s beneficial.

Will they also deduct time from the person who takes a few minutes to walk around a few times a day to clear their mind without a cigarette?

If someone is getting their work done, a good boss will realize that people need their personal moments. If someone isn’t effective at their job, focus on that- not their smoking habits.

I’m not a smoker.

When I was a receptionist, it was a pain in the arse having to go from a 10-line to a 20-line every hour and a half, because the lady down the hall had to take yet another smoke break.

I think if your job is project-based, and you’re getting your shit done on time, fine. If someone else has to double their work load so you can succumb to your addiction, there’s a problem and you should be deducted.

If a smoker can take a break. So can everyone else. Becoming a loss to the company bottom line.

Just think how it would disrupt productivity if all staff stepped outside 10 – 15 min. of every hour.
And plenty of smokers sneak out on the clock.

Smokers get away with it because most of the staff are not.

I do not care if a smoker wants to smoke all day. They have allotted break time. Us it as they wish.
If is takes away from lunch. That is their problem.

Now I think I will have a smoke. So nice to be the boss. ;-)

Absolutely.

Everyone gets the same amount of lunch and break time. If the smokers use it to smoke, that’s their problem. They don’t deserve extra breaks because they smoke.

What about people who spend too much time browsing the vending machine? Or on the phone with their child care provider? Or getting coffee? Or taking a few extra minutes to stretch in the bathroom? For those of you talking about the company’s bottom line, I agree. If a person spends so much time doing non-work activities (like in the example @Seek_Kolinahr gave) that the company is losing productivity, that needs to be dealt with. Why is it just about smokers?

I am a smoker and smokers should be given plenty of smoke breaks. lets compare people that go to the restroom every 15 minutes. same difference.

Micromanagement is such a waste of a salary. My opinion (of pretty much every job) is that the employee should be free to take a break when and for however long that see fit with the understanding that they are responsible for their work load.

If they fail to reach the understood goal of their job continually, then they should be fired and replaced with someone who is willing to do it and do it right.

I’m a once in a while smoker and I support this measure.

Why should smokers receive some sort of extra benefit for having an addictive habit? Because that’s what you’re doing when you give a smoker a “smoke break” – not only do they take a lunch break, they stop working at other times, too. How is that fair to the nonsmokers?

I don’t get any special smoke breaks. It seems fair to me.

A break is a break, smoking or otherwise. If it were just 5 minutes I might disagree with docking time. Don’t you get a break aside from your lunch though? I used to get a lunch hour and a 15 minute break, but I know it depends on the state you live in and whatever rules your company might have.

How often do you smoke in a work day?

Plenty of breaks for all = yes.

Extra or special breaks for smokers = no.

@john65pennington Some of those people have bladder conditions and shouldn’t be punished more over something they have no control over.

Well, how would you feel about a non-smoker taking 2–3 15 minute breaks a day in addition to lunch? Seems fair to me.

Breaks should be the same for everyone. Going to the bathroom is not a break it’s a necessity. If smokers can take a 10–15 minute break in the morning, then non-smokers should be entitled to the same break. If emplyers do not want to give everyone a break, then it’s fair to deduct the time from their lunch hour (since they are essentially letting them split their lunch hour however they see fit). Than non-smokers should be able to do the same thing if they wanted to.

The only thing I would want if I was a smoker is the option to stay 15 minutes later, rather then have my lunch hour cut.

As I understand it, the government requires employers to give employees at least 30 minutes for lunch, and two 15 minute breaks – one in the morning, one in the afternoon. It is illegal to give employees a 1 hour lunch in lieu of those breaks – however, it is not illegal to give them an hour lunch plus those breaks.

@papayalily Actually, according to the U.S. Department of Labor the federal law does not require lunch or coffee breaks. The exception to that is for minors who have special work regulations.

If you work for a union, the union contracts can state that employers must give a certain number of breaks.

No—that would be akin to double taxation: the time has already been deducted from their lifespans.

@Seaofclouds It must be my state’s law then, because every employer I’ve worked for has known that.

@papayalily States can make individual laws about it if they want to. I didn’t look to see which states have laws about breaks and which ones don’t.

@papayalily: i checked the labor laws the other day, because i was having a conversation with a friend who works with a new coworker who is constantly inquiring about breaks. in checking, i see that @Seaofclouds is correct, the employer is not required to give breaks. I think they do usually just to increase productivity.

An intelligent workplace (especially if they are corporate and can afford it) should give everyone a break 5 minutes, every hour. In addition to lunch, whether the lunch is paid or not.

People need those types of breaks.

And texting-addicts shouldn’t get any breaks at all, since they use up more than that time texting all day.

I’m was employer in the state of Oregon. Labor laws there required me to provide the employee with a 10 min. paid break if they worked 4 hours or more in a segment of time. Also a 30 min. unpaid break if they worked 6 hours or more in a segment of time. I as an employer understand an employees need for an additional break now and then during a hectic or stressful work load but I have held tight on no extra smoke breaks. As a tax payer I don’t think I’m interested in paying for smoking.

Where I work we are encouraged to take a short break every couple of hours and whether this is to smoke, have a cup of tea and a chat with colleagues away from the desks or just to go for some fresh air etc is completely irrelevant. Apart from a minimum of a 30 minute lunch break, these breaks are not compulsary but everyone has the option to the same amount of break time. I think this is only fair. What you choose to do with your break shouldn’t be the point.

It isn’t fair only smokers should get extra breaks, but if the time is already being deducted from the lunch period then I don’t see a problem.

Depends on the job description. In a simple model there are three types of work

1) manual labor
2) task-oriented mental labor (routine brain work)
3) knowledge-oriented mental labor (complex brain work)

Number 3 happens anywhere, anytime. While having a smoke. While commuting. In the shower. Even when people sleep, then wake up because of a new idea (I usually have to write them down right away)

Should smokers’ breaks be deducted from their lunch hours? Not for number 3. You can’t measure productivity by using punch clocks counting the number of hours at your desk.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_work_productivity

“With companies shifting revenue generating activities from processes that traditionally used to be driven by manual work to those that are currently being driven by knowledge work, the ratio of knowledge workers has drastically increased to constitute almost 75 percent of the workforce in industrialized countries.”

So it’s fair to give smokers the extra break if they deliver results and reach their objectives. But it’s also fair to give non-smokers extra breaks if they want them for example by taking a walk to ponder a problem. Fresh air and sunshine air does wonders sometimes.

@ JLeslie the question would be then would you be able to smoke during that 15 minutes.

@srtlhill Which 15 minutes? That final 15 before you leave? Of course not.

Smoker’s should take a break whenever they feel the urge coming on. It makes them happy and more productive. They should insist on a smoking section for fellow colleagues who also smoke. Salesman especially are more productive while smoking a cigarette, it gives them that reflective moment to think before speaking, and to listen to the other person for a moment or two. Smoker’s and non-smokers alike should be paid on results, not on the clock. So if a smoker is being particularly productive he would be able to take a longer break as needed. Smokers would encourage eachother to be more productive so they could take longer breaks together. Especially if they are in a romantic relationship.