How often should you take smoke breaks while at work?

Question

I take a smoke break about ever hour-to hour and a half. I just feel like maybe I take them to frequent maybe?

My office is really laid back, and for most of the day I don't have much to do, So I don't "leave work for the rest of the office + my work, is my work, noone elses and it gets done." I don't have a scheduled break time and it only takes me about 5 to smoke and be back at my desk.

Answer 1

That's a little excessive particularly considering how people feel about smokers these days. Smoke on your way to work, take one about mid-morning, smoke all you want on your lunch break, one mid-afternoon and then smoke all you want when you leave. In addition to avoiding glares from your co-workers and accusations of taking excessive breaks, it will help you cut down on your smoking habit or possibly kick it altogether. I used to smoke about a pack per day but now smoke maybe two cigs per day and hoping to stop that too. Hope this helps.

And don't listen to all of the hypocritical people talking about fairness to your employer when they're clearly taking a break of their own to answer questions here. If you're not working, you're on a break whether you're sitting at your desk or not.

Answer 2

Depends on how your breaks are given. Where I work an 8 hour shift gets 2 breaks (15 min) and 1 half hour lunch. No one is allowed to smoke at any other time.
I always HATED working in offices with lazy people like you. "Gotta take my smoke break", run off and leave the work for those who choose not to destroy their bodies.

Answer 3

We are allowed 75 minutes of break/lunch time a shift. What we do with it, and how we take it is almost without care by management. We just have to leave for lunch at the appointed hour, if we can. No extra smoke breaks.

Answer 4

I don't smoke, so it annoys me when smokers take so many breaks. I think you should only take smoke breaks when you are supposed to take regular breaks according to company policy. Usually that's 1 fifteen minute break in the morning, lunch break, and then 1 fifteen minute break in the afternoon. It takes at least 10 min to get the smoke, go outside, smoke it, come back, so that's like an hour worth of breaks in a day that smokers get extra.

Answer 5

Yup, I also think it's a bit too much.... I don't smoke but on one of my last jobs the girl who used to be in my position before I was hired used to take few smoke breaks (i.e. not excessive at all) and our boss was really annoyed by that. He was happy when he hired me and learned that I didn't smoke. Believe me, it might seem they're laid back and they don't care, but they DO notice what you do with your free time and it's not very well seen to spend so much time outside smoking. I agree with the ppl who said that just 1 break in the morning (before lunch) and one after should be enough...

Answer 6

To be fair to the employer, you should only take a smoke break during your regularly scheduled work break. If you don't get a break before or after lunch, then you should only smoke at lunch.

Answer 7

See what your job contract says about taking breaks (leaving your desk to smoke one anymore entails taking a break). You be allowed to take a break every 3 hours (doesn't and shouldn't include using the bathroom).

Answer 8

You dont have much to do but how about your coworkers are they slammed? Personally, I think to each man his own but it does look bad if your coworkers are working while you are on your hourly break. Limit all of your breaks to 15 minutes a day. so about 3 five minute smoke breaks.

Answer 9

2 x 15 minute breaks if you must smoke. Otherwise why not just do it outside of work.

Answer 10

I've always thought about 4 cigarettes throughout the work day were sufficient enough. One in the morning, two during lunch, and another in the afternoon. Honestly, I think every hour is a little too frequent and could be an inconvenience to your co-workers.