It’s one of the great traditions of the working world. The smoke break, or a free paid break from work to enjoy a cigarette while on the clock, has been part of work tradition since smoking has become discouraged in workplaces throughout the world. Now, the Breckland Council in Norfolk, England, has eliminated the paid smoke break, forcing employees to clock out when they leave to enjoy a smoke, then clock back in when they return to work.
For pro-smoking groups, like Forest, the move to axe free smoke breaks is “tyrannical,” but to normal people who don’t smoke, it’s just reasonable. The council runs on a flexitime system, which basically means that employees can take breaks as needed, provided they work a full 8-hour day and clock in and out when they leave for meals or whatever. If anything, this is more fair to nonsmoking workers, who are penalized for their lack of addictions.
“Our flexible working system allows smokers to take smoking breaks without affecting the amount of time spent working and this brings fairness for all,” said council head William Nunn in a press release. He added that employees voted on the new system, and it was with their permission that the time system changed to eliminate smoke breaks.
Tags: Breckland Council, Norfolk, England, William Nunn, smoking, smoking and employers, smokers forced to clock out for smoke breaks, flexitime system, smokers told to clock out for cigarette breaks, smoking break, human resources, Forest
