Our workplace rules for smokers. Does your office have similar? Are they extreme?

[dee-u]

visualAd has maxed out his post quota for this year, he may reply next year again.

[jmcilhinney]

I'm sure smokers make some contribution to society.

Can we fuel our power plants with coughing and littering?

This is a very relevant point. Smokers are, in my experience, often an extremely inconsiderate group. They may be as considerate as the next person in other areas but, when it comes to smoking, they show little concern for how they are affecting other people and people who wouldn't ever consider throwing a a chocolate wrapper or a coffee cup on the ground will toss a cigarette butt absolutely anywhere without a second thought. It irks me most when I see people flick butts out of their car window. YOUR CAR HAS AN ASHTRAY DIPSTICK!

I shudder to think of the number of bushfires that have been started in Australia due to thoughtlessly discarded cigarette butts. Just a year or two ago, in a car park near the Olympic Stadium in Sydney, someone tossed a butt that ignited some dry grass and ended up burning out about 40 cars.

There's a campaign against butt littering at the moment but noone ever does anything to enforce it. If I was a police officer, I'd fine anyone who tossed a cigarette butt the maximum amount on the spot. There simply is no excuse for it. I'm dead against any littering but cigarette butts are the worst because smokers are serial offenders.

[jmcilhinney]

I'm a non-smoker. I've never been a smoker and I hate pretty much everything about smoking. I have a bit of an addictive personality myself so I understand the pull things can have on people, although I doubt I've experienced anything as strong as the desire to smoke people feel when they've been doing it for years. I have sympathy for people when they try to quit but I have no sympathy for people who don't try to quit such a revolting and ridiculous habit. The reason that I look at smoking differently to things like over-eating and narcotic addiction is that, unlike the others, you generally don't get anything positive out of smoking. The only positive you generally get is not feeling the withdrawal that you wouldn't have got if you never started. There's no high like there is with other drugs and there's no pleasure like with eating (which I do a bit too much of myself).

* No smoking within 100 feet of the office building, to include visiting family members.

That distance seems excessive. Keep the smoke out of the common space and don't litter where you smoke and I'm OK.

* 3 smokes breaks are allowed at 5 minutes each.
* Smokers can only have a 15 minute lunch break.

That sounds fine to me. I had a job about 25 years ago (smoking in the workplace was not allowed even back then here is Australia) where many people used to duck out several times a day for a smoke so a friend and I took to grabbing a Coke from the vending machine and just standing outside having a chat for 5-10 minutes. Soon after, non-smokers were given an extra 15 minutes for lunch breaks.

* Packs of cigarretes in the workplace can't be in plain view.

That's quite ridiculous if you ask me. I'm not offended by a packet of cigarettes; only the smoking of their contents. Mind you, here is Australia we have pictures of gangrenous feet and throat cancer patients on our cigarette packets, so most people wouldn't leave them out in plain view anyway.

* After smoking they must wash their hands and suck on a breath mint, or brush their teeth.

I have no issue with that. It makes me wither when I step on a bus or, even worse, enter an elevator with someone who has just smoked a cigarette. For the longest time, smokers generally even denied that smoking next to you should actually bother you, so it probably doesn't even cross their mind that their breathe smells like a full ashtray that's spent a week in someone's underwear during a heatwave after smoking. That said, I do agree that BO or excessive perfume (which makes me gag) are also issues that we should be able to address, but we can't because too many people are on a hair-trigger ready to be offended.

* Smokers who fail to follow above rules 3 times are given walking papers.

I have no issue with that. If you know what the rules are and you don't think they're fair then try to do something about them now; not once you've fallen afoul of them. If you break the rules repeatedly then there must be some consequence.

* If rules effects productivity 2 times, smoker is given walking papers

It really depends on how that's measured. There are plenty of other reasons that productivity might fall. Will they be assessed in a similar way?

* Agitated smokers who tweak in the workplace, depending on how server, will be instantly sacked!

I'm not 100% sure what this means. Are we talking about smokers showing outward signs of withdrawal? I don't think that that should be an issue in and of itself but if someone is really so affected then they really need to seek medical help.

* Smoke detected from an open window by management will result in a greater distance from the building where smokers are allowed to smoke.

Are employees the only ones who could possibly be smoking in the vicinity? If not then this seems a bit hard to administer. Also seems a bit over the top.

* Job seekers must fully complete and sign questionaire. They must understand that by signing the questionaire, they agree that any untruthful info will result in a dismissal.

I agree with this in principal but I'm not sure that whether you're a smoker is information that should be required on your average job application. If this is in the US then you guys have that ridiculous system where many (most?) people get their health insurance from their employer, so I guess it's relevant in that case. Still, should the employer themselves even get to see your health information even then?

* Don't knowingly hire a smoker for any position. Failing to do so will result in your dismissal!

I agree with the second part if the first part is in place but I don't agree with the first part. That would be considered discrimination in Australia and, as much as I hate smoking, I agree with that. Like religion, I have no interest in smoking but what you do on your own time is up to you. When it starts affecting me or others, then we've got a problem.

Overall, I'd say that these rules are the product of a militant anti-smoker and are draconian. Whoever came up with them is not a good employer because they are more interested in fostering fear than a comfortable work environment. There are better ways to deal with smoking in the workplace.

[dee-u]

jmcilhinney is bored.

[FunkyDexter]

too many people are on a hair-trigger ready to be offended.

I take offence at that!

Nobody has a problem with tweaking in the work place but when I started twerking in the work place everyone was suddenly all offended.

[jmcilhinney]

jmcilhinney is bored.

At least you didn't say "boring", so thanks for that. Finished a project early but can't go home just yet so one has to amuse oneself somehow.

[jmcilhinney]

...when I started twerking in the work place everyone was suddenly all offended.

That Guinea Pig butt bouncing tho'!

[homer13j]

YOUR CAR HAS AN ASHTRAY DIPSTICK!

No, it doesn't. (2014 Mustang)

In fact, the vast majority of automobiles sold in the US no longer come with ashtrays. They are only available as an option at additional cost.

As an ex-smoker (25 years now) I actually enjoy the occasional whiff of tobacco smoke as long as it's not overwhelming.

[techgnome]

Many cars don't come with cigarette lighters any more... it's now a 12v port...

We have one designated area for smoking. it's out back, past the picnic tables, at the gazebo. In fact, it's known as teh "Smoker's Gazebo"

-tg

[Gruff]

What bugs the heck out of me is that they still put those huge cigarette lighter jacks in place instead of a much better number of standardized power jacks distributed around the vehicle.

I believe you can still buy third party electric cigarette lighters for cars and just plug them in.

Of course I could be wrong on that score for the latest models. I haven't be able to afford a new car for two decades.

[techgnome]

My wife has a 2014 Dodge Journey ... up front it has 2 12v jacks and a USP port... inside center console is another 12v jack and usb and aux in... in back is yet another 12v and usb port.

my 2011 F150 has two 12v jacks up front, one driverside one passenger side.

-tg

[dclamp]

There's a campaign against butt littering at the moment but noone ever does anything to enforce it. If I was a police officer, I'd fine anyone who tossed a cigarette butt the maximum amount on the spot. There simply is no excuse for it. I'm dead against any littering but cigarette butts are the worst because smokers are serial offenders.

In California, littering carries a $1000 Fine. I know an officer who will seek out people smoking in their car and follow them for a bit until they are finished with their cigarette. Most of the time they throw it out the window and get pulled over.

[Gruff]

My wife has a 2014 Dodge Journey ... up front it has 2 12v jacks and a USP port... inside center console is another 12v jack and usb and aux in... in back is yet another 12v and usb port.

my 2011 F150 has two 12v jacks up front, one driverside one passenger side.

-tg

What does a 12v jack look like? A cigarette lighter jack?

[techgnome]

What does a 12v jack look like? A cigarette lighter jack?

yes, same thing. The difference is whether it gets cig lighter icon or the 12v port label.


-tg

[Gruff]

I guess that is my gripe. a 12 volt jack does not have to be that large of a diameter. The male jacks are huge and clumsy.

I imagine that car companies have millions of the old things stored away in warehouses and they are simply trying to put their existing stock to use.

[dclamp]

Considering how many devices currently exist that work with that plug, i doubt they will change the standard. My truck also comes stock with a few USB ports. One charge only and one Charge/Audio that is connected to the radio.

European plugs seem more inconvenient than 12v plugs in cars.

[jmcilhinney]

With regards to ashtrays, things may be different in the US but, here in Australia, I'm yet to see car without an ashtray. Maybe some newer models don't have them but older ones certainly do. I know for a fact that lots of people who throw cigarette butts out their car windows do have ashtrays. Even if your car doesn't have an ashtray, that is still not an excuse to throw a butt out the window. If you're a smoker and you intend to smoke in your car then either don't buy a car that doesn't have an ashtray or else provide something in the car for the purpose. There simply is no excuse for throwing butts out the window.

Not to pick on drivers particularly though. I only did that because, here at least, they have an ashtray within arms reach. People simply dropping a cigarette butt on the footpath is just as bad as far as I'm concerned. If you're a smoker then carry something with you that you can put your butts in and then dispose of them later or else seek out a rubbish bin. Also, make sure that your butt is extinguished before disposing of it.

With regards to lighters in cars, the lighters themselves are slowly being phased out and I'm sure that, over time, we'll see the ports disappear too. Many devices require an extra cable to be purchased to charge via 12V port so we will see more an more cars come equipped with USB ports and that will eventually be the only option for charging. That may be inconvenient for some whose device(s) can only be charged one way but that's progress for you.

[visualAd]

Are you back forever

Depends what you mean by forever?

- rest of my life?
- rest of your life?
- some of period of time you deem to be 'forever'?
- until the end of the universe (and it may not end)?

[namrekka]

Considering how many devices currently exist that work with that plug, i doubt they will change the standard. My truck also comes stock with a few USB ports. One charge only and one Charge/Audio that is connected to the radio.

European plugs seem more inconvenient than 12v plugs in cars.

Time for a iCar?

[jmcilhinney]

Time for a iCar?

They'd keep changing the shape of the fuel inlet every time they released a new one.

[FunkyDexter]

I have to agree with JM that sticking your butt out the window is a thoroughly anti-social thing to do. Nobody wants to see that.

In seriousness, it's also an incredibly dangerous thing to do if you're in a dry country and I find it staggering that people do it given the risks. Particularly as, as JM says, they've got an ashtray right there. To be honest any littering is actually pretty dangerous on the roads as any motor-cyclists will tell you. One mans apple core is another mans oil slick.

[dee-u]

Well, the gasoline boys were looking at it. (if its lewd pls. delete)

[jayinthe813]

Where I work is not that extreme. There is an outside designated smoking area. Non-exempt employees use their breaks. Exempt employees use their discretion.

I'm an ex-smoker, I try not to be a "reformed *****", but smokers really stink like ashtrays. I wouldn't mind if they "cleaned up" after smoking. I wouldn't say anything to them though...

Pretty much this at my workplace

[SJWhiteley]

As I get older, I worry less about what others are doing and more about my own behavior. I can't change their behavior but I can change mine. Shouting at smokers to quit will give yourself grief more than it gives them.

Of course, there are personal boundaries which, one infringed, tends to develop wrath. However, I do think in the US the boundaries are very well defined and there is little invasion of that boundary. However, far too many people worry and take action against those who have no infringement on their boundary, whatever that may be.

We care too much and want to do too much about things that truly do not affect us. In the US, it is generally accepted that smokers only smoke in acceptable places which are readily avoidable by those who don't want to smoke. There's a growing portion of people that want to eradicate smoking even though it has no direct or indirect affect on them. This is the same attitude for an innumerable number of things. While it can be argued 'for the children', pretty much banning everything can be validly argued 'it's for the children', which makes that argument much more tenuous.

Further, a lot of such people are simply sniveling cowards, and try to use the force of government to impose their will on everyone else. Remember, if you think that 'someone should do something', then they probably shouldn't.

[TysonLPrice]

Further, a lot of such people are simply sniveling cowards, and try to use the force of government to impose their will on everyone else. Remember, if you think that 'someone should do something', then they probably shouldn't.

Along those lines I believe it is a right for a woman to chose to terminate a pregnancy for herself. The government, analogous in a way to an employer, has stepped in and is deciding that based on others beliefs. Now that I think of it though...this might be a topic for a whole other thread.

[jayinthe813]

This thread sounds like the premise of a new sitcom where it's employees vs smokers

[Peter Porter]

Remember, if you think that 'someone should do something', then they probably shouldn't.

Nah... I would never tell a smoker what to do. I just applaud them when they toss their cigarettes to the ground with the hundreds of others.

When they toss them into the bushes, I yell "Score!!!"

Into a lake: "You're the man!" or "You go, woman!"

Next to an ashcan: "You were close."

On a children's playground: "Now you're thinking!"


Seriously, I don't say any of the above.

[dclamp]

I recently started smoking meth since we have a ban on cigarettes at my work place

[jayinthe813]

I recently started smoking meth since we have a ban on cigarettes at my work place

See, that's how you stick it to the man. And if they ban that, then you move on to bath salts.

[addseo1115]

It's so extreme rule. My company workers don't smoke, they just drink.