Florist News

Hi all, not sure I'll get much support here on this one, but, here goes....

I am writing (well copying from the govt leaflet) the smoke free policy for my shop and I want to add a bit about smoking breaks - ie I don't want to allow them. Do any of you have a policy on this and how have you worded it? My view is that if folk want to smoke they should do it in their own time on their scheduled breaks not be nipping off for a sly one behind the bins on my time, there has been grumbling amongst the majority non smokers about how its not fair if people do this. It doesn't look good either for people to see the van parked up at the roadside with the driver lolling against it puffing away!

i completely agree about them smoking on their own time.

Years ago when i worked with someone who smoked she would have about 30mins extra a day, if you add that up over the year, they probably get over 2 weeks extra hols than non smokers, and thats not fair.

I'm in agreement too. I used to work in sales and it used to really piddle me off that half the team would disappear every half an hour to smoke.

I've only got one employee that smokes and she's on maternity leave at the moment so would be quite interested in what everyone comes up with so I can put it in place before she's back.

She did used to just open the back door and stand outside, which generally I don't have an issue with but seeming as its now against the law that changes things. Well I dont' have an issue with if I'm there, but I did discover that whenever I left the shop for half an hour or so apparently she'd be straight out for a fag.

Looking forward to putting up no smoking posters by one of our side windows and the back door because you can smell it wafting through various crevices and it mings.

speaking as the only smoker that has replied so far, i can understand where you are coming from, when i worked in a shop that nobody else smoked in, i smoked on my lunch hour, or i would ask to go and have one when the shop was really quiet, and i had done all my work, i never took the p**s, and i would never go when there were things to do,i think it unfair to single out smokers, as i have tried to quit many times and its really hard, smokers do not enjoy it, its an awful habbit which mentally is so hard to kick, i think the smoking ban is a good idea, i have always agreed with it, but it is quite hard for a non-smoker to see it from a smokers perspective

i would just word it like this "due the the smoking ban, ciggarette breaks will no longer be permitted outside of scheduled break times, smoking is not permitted in or around the premises at any time"

i know what you mean lisa, but some people just think its their right to go and have a fag break, and then take the pee.

If employers allow smoking breaks then i think they should allow non smokers benefits too........

fat people can have gym breaks,

shopoholics can have spending breaks....... i'll be on both break lists....lol

leila will be on her cake break

mmmmm cake, I love cake.

you'll be joing the gym break posse if you have too much

lol at you guys,

i agree with the non smokers should be entitled as well if we have fag breaks, that would be only fair, and i know some smokers take the pee but so do non-smokers, i worked with girl who would pop to the post office, shop, bank etc even when we were busy, so if i go for a fag and im 5 mins, and she goes to the post office and she is 15 mins, im the bad guy? because i smoke? as i said i would never have had it interfere with my work, but i would always be looked down upon, i have tried so hard to quit and my next step is hypnotherapy, but it really is a mental problem, even i as a smoker, would not work somewhere where smoking was allowed, i could probably do with the gym breaks as well!!

Passionflowers, my husband and I both used to smoke for England, we gave up together by using really strong patches (they make you feel really ill, unless of course you are a really hardened smoker on 60 Gauloise a day ) and by him telling me basically that he would die if I didn't give up with him and help him! Do you have someone you could try that with? It worked too with going to the gym where I used to live - friend and I would meet there at 7am three times a week and it was the fact that we would be letting each other down that motivated us. That's all gone out the window now, I have no will power and I too love cake! Luckily the feeling ill thing with giving up fags has lasted and while I still love the idea of smoking I physically can't do it any more. Oh, those were the days, there was a specialist tobacconist in York that sold really pretty cigarettes with coloured paper and gold filters .