Employment law/buffs - breaks, etc.
 

Hi,

Imagine, hypthetically if i was working for M Mouse inc.

It turns out the the 2 x 10 minute breaks one in the morning and one in the afternoon are only for smokers, not non smokers - is this right or proper practice???

The fag breaks are not in the contract of employment, the only break we get is 60m unpaid lunch, no other. We work sat at LCD screens/PC's 100% of the time.

Now M Mouse inc want to ditch the 10m fag breaks unless you want to reduce your unpaid lunch mins to cover fag breaks off 40 min lunch and 2 x 10 min fag breaks if you see what i mean.

M Mouse inc says that we do not have to have breaks outside lunch, it is enough to get up and get a coffee or water once or twice a day.

Is this right???

At our place smokers go for one on average once every hour. If you are a non smoker you are not allowed any breaks.

They are out there for at least 5 mins a time.

It really frustrates the non-smokers as they are not allowed breaks as going to the toliet and make drinks is considered a break from the pc.

Fair I think not!

So I actually agree that if you are a smoker you take it out of your lunch break.

I used to be a smoker and even if I was still now I would feel it fair to take it out of my break time to be fair to others.

also are there not any health and safety issues about "screen breaks".

In my old work place {printing company} we worked 12hr shifts.

Only the smokers got 2 x10min breaks, non-smokers got none.
No lunch breaks at all, no incoming & out going phone calls were allowed.
No reading materials {newspapers, magazines, etc} were allowed in the factory,
all mobile phones had to switched off and no eating food on the shop floor.

and to top it off, we were under cctv all the time.

Think yourself lucky compared to these conditions.

A company so strict and anal would have to pay me an thoroughly indecent amount of money to work there.

At my place there are no official break times and often non-smokers join the smokers outside.

The relaxed atmosphere pays dividends in hard work and commitment to the company.

Wow... thats crackers!

I give my staff 2x 15 mins breaks (One mid morning and one mid afternoon) and 1x 30 min lunch break for each 8hr working day. All fully paid for.

I'm sure the working time directive only specifies a 20min break per 6hrs of work and that break can be the lunch break. Extra breaks are by contractual agreement only I think. I am absolutely certain there is no such thing as a statutory cigarette break though so maybe this falls under some discriminatory law if you dig deep enough because surely no employer can legally say:

I'm certainly no employment law expert though and am speaking from experience as an employer who cares about his staffs wellbeing so its probably worth a google.

Stu is right I believe.

I think the only written thing is that you are entitled to 20 mins for 6 hours worked.

My place isn't too bad, I work 8 hours, I get 1 hour (unpaid) lunch and 2x15 minute breaks (morning and afternoon). I know one of the people I work with does a shorter shift and because he smokes, he has been allowed to split his 30 minute break in two for smoke breaks. I's all fair though, as he is still only getting the same amount of time allowed as anyone else.

we make the stupid (sorry smokers) sign in and out for their fag breaks.

deduct the time off their sheets. everyone has to do a mandatory 37 hrs a week.

wow depressing reading

the UK's employment rights seem pretty pathetic to me

Sounds a sensible idea that - some of our smoker really do seem to take the mick in regards to number of breaks etc

Richard