Why do smokers get to take breaks every 30 minutes?

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: Fritzo
If you've interviewed for a job at an office lately, you'll notice that a lot of companies ask "Do you smoke?" We started doing that about a year ago, and our HR guy said that they ask because:

1) Smokers call in sick 20% more than non-smokers
2) Health insurance coverage is usually 25-40% higher
3) Smokers tend to be less efficent workers due to their "breaks"

Seems like a good reason not to smoke---you might miss out on a good job 😉

Sounds to me like an invasion of privacy..I'd just pit in an N/A right beside that one

Are you female..there's a good chance you may become pregnant and we don't want to pay maternity leave..

Are you chinese..you probably have a relative that is a member of the communist party

Can you say lawsuit, I'd advise your company to take that out of their policy.

You can say lawsuit....but you would lose it. It's been fought before and lost. The employer can't descriminate against your race, sex or creed, but can decide to hire you based on your behavior. There was even a company in California that fired an employee because they found out he smoked (that was in the news a while back). Face it, smoking is not good, it's becoming socially unacceptable, and people don't want to deal with it. Taking off of work for children is a helluva lot better excuse than "I'm not feeling well because my immune system was lowered and I got bronchitis from sucking in the smoke of a trash fire wrapped in a piece of paper." And truthfully...people don't really tend to abuse taking off time for family problems.

 

[Fritzo]

Cool, then I can start my own business and will not hire any gays, any fat people, no cripps...either...you get where I am going on this hopefully....

Not hiring gays: You could do this....it's been done, though it's controversial

Fat people: If they're not physically able to do the job due to their weight, you can do that too.

"Cripps" (how charming): You're not allowed do discriminate against the handicapped unless they're not physically able to do the job (I think obese people fall under this clause).

In the end, it all depends on the employer's preferences---if they like you, they'll hire you. If you do something they don't like, they don't want you. If they don't like you because of something you do, go ahead and sue to get a job there. I know I'd be happy working there

:disgust:

 

[GermyBoy]

I don't get it either. At my place of work, EVERYONE gets together and smokes for 30 minutes every 30 minutes. It's really funny actually, because when they're in there, I take a quick nap. 😉

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: AmusedOne

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: Fritzo
If you've interviewed for a job at an office lately, you'll notice that a lot of companies ask "Do you smoke?" We started doing that about a year ago, and our HR guy said that they ask because:

1) Smokers call in sick 20% more than non-smokers
2) Health insurance coverage is usually 25-40% higher
3) Smokers tend to be less efficent workers due to their "breaks"

Seems like a good reason not to smoke---you might miss out on a good job 😉

Sounds to me like an invasion of privacy..I'd just pit in an N/A right beside that one

Are you female..there's a good chance you may become pregnant and we don't want to pay maternity leave..

Are you chinese..you probably have a relative that is a member of the communist party

Can you say lawsuit, I'd advise your company to take that out of their policy.

A company cannot discriminate on the basis of sex, race, age or national origin. There is nothing in the law about personal habits.

Cool, then I can start my own business and will not hire any gays, any fat people, no cripps...either...you get where I am going on this hopefully....

There is no law against discriminating against gays or overweight people. Disabled people is another story. If they can prove they are able to do the job as per described, you're in a sh!t load of trouble.

Maybe you should actually study discrimination laws?

 

[Ultima]

Originally posted by: Aceman
aphexII,
I didn't ask that question or opinion. I asked if you can provide proof that secondhand smoke will give you lung cancer. While you're at it see if you can find proof that I will contract cancer from my smoking.

I wouldn't be so harsh on this issue if I didn't have to hear people complain of my cigarette breaks and if they would provide me a shelter in the winter time to smoke my cigarettes outside.

Two grandparents have died from lung cancer, they both smoked.
I have a personal vendetta against smoking and smokers because my mom smoked heavily and I got a birth defect cause of it. Whenever I see a pregnant women with a cigarette I feel like slapping it right out of her mouth.

 

[Jzero]

Cool, then I can start my own business and will not hire any gays, any fat people, no cripps...either...you get where I am going on this hopefully....

Are you really this clueless or are you just being obstinate?

 

[Wallydraigle]

Life is a tapestry of double standards.

 

[docmanhattan]

Originally posted by: Aceman
aphexII,
I didn't ask that question or opinion. I asked if you can provide proof that secondhand smoke will give you lung cancer. While you're at it see if you can find proof that I will contract cancer from my smoking.

I wouldn't be so harsh on this issue if I didn't have to hear people complain of my cigarette breaks and if they would provide me a shelter in the winter time to smoke my cigarettes outside.

Why on earth should you be provided shelter for smoking in the winter? You're probably also not allowed to drink while on the job either and are they obligated to provide you with a place out of the office to drink? No! Of course not.

 

[DaiShan]

This thread is soo true, at my last job, my boss would come in, work for 30 minutes, go drink some coffee, then go outside and smoke/joke around. he would come back in after like 15 minutes and work 45-1hr time and then go back out with the other smokers, I (along with the rest of the non-smokers) got breaks from 10-10:15 and 3-3:15 and my boss made sure we were not even 1 minute late, I was literally 1 minute late one time, he comes in from his smoke break takes me into his office and tells me I need to clock out for being late, and I can clock back in when he thinks I "have learned my lesson" 15 minutes later I can clock back in. Needless to say when I left that job I left a nice little pack of papers documenting his "work habits".

 

[lawaris]

cos' they deserve at least something good in their life 😛

 

[Aceman]

Why on earth should you be provided shelter for smoking in the winter? You're probably also not allowed to drink while on the job either and are they obligated to provide you with a place out of the office to drink? No! Of course not.

Well, you probably would have a valid point, if my workplace did not allow me to smoke. But they do, and therefore you are left pointless.

 

[absolutiza]

get a new job

 

[Pocatello]

I know what you're talking about. I have a temp job at a cheese malnufacturing plant, everytime when there is a need for heavy lifting, my two coworkers would tell me they are going to take a smoke, every 10 minutes. That's the American work ethic for you. And they're complaining why the Mexicans are taking their jobs!