Do you feel that non-smokers are discriminated against?

Question

I work in a smoke-free building and find that the ones that do smoke are taking a smoke break every hour or two to smoke. These breaks usually last 10-20 minutes. I am not given a break every hour or two to go do something. We work the same work day and if you do the math at an average fifteen minutes every two hours they are getting paid to smoke for an hour. I have asked several smokers and my boss about this and they say they come into work early and leave later to make up for the time but rest assured, this doesn't happen. Curious what your thoughts are.

Answer 1

Yes we are discrimated against. Before it was illegal to smoke in restaurants in my county, the non-smoking areas were in the least desirable area of just about every restaurant, next to the restrooms.

I don't hear anything said about the fact that most smokers litter with their stubs, out of their car windows, on the beach, anywhere you go in public, you can find stubs everywhere.

It should be illegal for anyone to smoke in public because it's the only way to guard those who choose not to pollute their lungs.

Answer 2

Well, I believe that smokers are discriminated against. Where I live,we can no longer smoke in restaurants, the airport, bars, or any building unless it is your house. I think that is wrong especially when the restaurants had smoking rooms. As for smoking at work, I only take a five minute break or so. I am not out there for 15 minutes and at my job I go out alone. When I am out there I am working most of the time. I collect our carts. So at least I am doing something on my smoke break. As for the person that said that smokers call in sick to work more, I haven't called in sick in over two years. In the three years that I have worked for my company, I have only called in sick once.

Have a nice day!

Answer 3

It is defiantly a form of discrimination to dictate to people what they can do in this way if i am in someone Else's home etc , i would refrain from smoking without there permission , in my own home i say whats what if anybody doesn't like it they know where the door is , if it causes problems in enclosed public places to a none smoker i would put it out however in the open free air, at the moment unless some prat in a government office thinks about taxing that ,i would ask them to move if they had a problem

Answer 4

I would say stop whining and worrying about what everyone else is doing. As long as you are doing your job and happy with your job, then get on with it.

This is the way society is heading. "Oh, they get to do that and I can't", "they called me fat and now I am going to sue them", "we can't say Merry Christmas, we have to say Happy Holidays".

I don't think non-smokers are discriminated against, I think it's the other way around. We used to be able to smoke at work and now we have to go outside. In some places you cannot smoke and drink/play pool anymore, we have to go outside. You obviously don't have enough work to do if you keep a timetable of when smokers go outside and how long they take. I would speak to your manager, not about the smoking, but about setting some more goals and objectives for you to keep you busier.

Bottom line, the non-smoking public decided that smoking should be banned in the workplace, and now we go outside to smoke, you find something else to whine about.

Anyway, gotta run outside for a smoke and MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!

Cheers!

Answer 5

It is the smokers who are discriminated against.
They were pushed out of the building. It is not their doing. So, non-smokers pay for what they did. Smokers willingly took this choice. Can you blame them?

When asked, the ns say that it is okay they do it outside - it is better than inhaling all that stuff in a closed environment. So there.

Answer 6

I feel you...That burns me up, since I too am a non smoker. At my last job those heffas smoked up a storm, while they gossiped about everyone's business. No one said anything but let someone leave the floor to go to the snack machine or use their cell phone and the world has suddenly came to an end.
It's a mess....and hell no, it's not FAIR!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

we had this issue at one of my past employers. It became a huge issue and they ended limiting the smokers to just their 15 minutes breaks and lunch as it was not fair to the non-smokers. You and others have to make a stink (not to make a pun) about it to HR and let them know it's being abused. They might not even know.

Answer 8

if i were on your position, i wouldnt feel bad for myself not getting equal breaks. i would actually feel bad for them. Taking a break every hour or two, in an 8 hour workday is a lot. but it's not entirely the issue, it's the also the smoking.
in time they'd be having sick leaves- or much worse than that.
& youd be the only healthy employee left in your workplace
GOOD LUCK

Answer 9

i think that you should first take it up with your manger and if he doesn't do anything then you should go to the person that is the real owner of the business and if he or she don't do anything then you should perhaps start a protest against what you think is wrong just don't anything that will get you fired because it is hard to find any good jobs out here in the world.

Answer 10

I've often thought about it as well, and no it isn't fair, but then come to the conclusion, that life isn't fair, and then comfort myself with the fact that I should really care less about other people so long as I get my work done and am rewarded for it.

If I'm feeling bitchy, I console myself with the knowledge that in a few years, they'll all have lung cancer anyway, so maybe they really should be trying to take it easy while they're still alive.