Smoking coworkers and fair breaks

[vlomankill]

I just need to rant and see if anyone else if having this issue. I work in dialysis as a RN; I find that a lot of my fellow coworkers smoke. The issue I'm having is that we are allotted 2 fifteen minutes breaks and 1 half-hour meal break. I am finding that my fellow coworkers are spending 15min at a time smoking then they complain that they didn't get a break or that they are having a meal break late (they take 45 min by the way, because they have to have a smoke before returning to the unit). I expressed my concern for the patients (with almost everyone smoking, there isn't that many of us taking care of the patients) to my boss, but she is a smoker. I notice one coworker was only in the unit for 45 min in a two hour time frame. :mad:I think its unfair to the nonsmokers who aren't taking 4-5 fifteen min breaks plus a extra long meal break. Lets just say my fellow coworkers are not happy when I hold them to this rule and remind them that they have coworkers who may want to take a break too. Am i wrong for this?? has anyone had issues concerning smoking and breaks??

[vlomankill]

Smoke breaks annoy me. The smokers will ALL go out together. They duck down the back stairs. We're offically allowed 2 half hour breaks and 2 15 minute breaks in a 14 hour shift. The smokers will take an extra 2 or 3, plus extend their half hour because they 'have to eat as well as smoke'.

It makes it worse that they have to walk off the premises to smoke now. Management know this is a problem, but can't or won't address it.

I've told a nurse, that she used up her meal break smoking and to get back to her patients. my boss told me i couldn't do that and that everyone should get a meal break. i responded that she did, she just used it to smoke. i just don't understand my smoking coworkers, and how they justify the extra time to smoke. i'm trying to understand, but i can't.

[caliotter3]

I would mimic the smokers with their extra breaks. If questioned, I would say, "Well so and so went out for their smoke break, now I'm going out for mine." This is the type of stuff that presence of a union rep is supposed to be good for. Smoke breaks for all or smoke breaks for none.

[totally_nuts]

We became a non-smoking facility earlier this year and that helped to cut down on some of the smoke breaks. Staff have to go off the premises to smoke, so while the actual number of smoke breaks are less the time taken for each one is slightly more.

It drives me nuts!!

[rnwings]

I am a smoker, but we do not seem to have this problem where I work. I guess we respect each other and know that everyone desreves there right to a TIMELY break. Sorry for your frustrtion. Hope things get better for you.

[NotFlo]

It's a chronic problem at my job, and it extends to the nurses, CNAs, unit secretaries and other ancillary staff. On any shift other than 7-3 and on the weekends all the house RNs smoke as well. They are commonly the only RN in the building and frequently don't respond to pages because they're outside smoking.

I know at my job people don't consider ducking outside to smoke a break. Four or five cig breaks plus two fifteens plus a half hour lunch is the norm for most smokers. They are also incredibly defensive if the issue is brought up. I just ignore it at this point but I hate not being able to reach the supervisor or esp. having the one non-smoking CNA on the floor busting her ass while the others are out smoking. Also I never mind helping other nurses out but when I'm constantly being called to attend to their patients because they're out smoking I do get irritated.

[MassED, BSN, RN]

Smoke breaks annoy me. The smokers will ALL go out together. They duck down the back stairs. We're offically allowed 2 half hour breaks and 2 15 minute breaks in a 14 hour shift. The smokers will take an extra 2 or 3, plus extend their half hour because they 'have to eat as well as smoke'.

It makes it worse that they have to walk off the premises to smoke now. Management know this is a problem, but can't or won't address it.

14 hour shift??? seriously.

[JDZ344]

14 hour shift??? seriously.

Yes, 7/8am-9/9.30pm (depending on which department we work on) if we work a "long" shift. We don't have to do the long shift, it's more of a personal choice if we want more days off than on. We can do 8 hour shifts instead.

[SummitRN, BSN, RN]

You get breaks???

Our facility is totally non-smoking; you can't even go to your car and smoke. Solved the problem on many levels.

Lots of facilities are going for this. The management realizes that they get less productivity out of smokers because they take so many breaks.

[JacobK, ADN, EMT-I]

Solution: Bring a tobacco pipe to work, go on a smokers break, and pretend to smoke it.

You get your extra breaks, and as an added bonus you can watch the smokers stutter as they try to come up with an argument about how you can't take a break because you don't smoke.

[JDZ344]

Lots of facilities are going for this. The management realizes that they get less productivity out of smokers because they take so many breaks.

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[canigraduate]

My facility has banned all tobacco products, period, on facility property. You have to leave the premises. I don't know of anyone that still tries to take a smoke break. I've seen some people with patches.

[kessadawn, BSN, RN]

My facility is non-smoking, and that includes leaving the grounds during your lunch. No smoking during your shift, period. I have worked in other facilities that have allowed smoking. I am a smoker as well, and I can honestly say that I barely had time to eat, let alone smoke. And I really don't think it's cool to come in to a patient's room reeking like an ashtray, that's just nasty. It always made me mad to see other smokers abuse that, and they were always the ones needing help to catch up at the end of the shift. If I didn't get a break because we were busy, they sure as heck weren't getting any help from me! I like the fact that my current place of employment is non-smoking, but we still have breaktime abusers. I guess you have that anywhere. I've just never understood why someone thinks they are entitled to extra breaks just because they smoke. Wear a nicotine patch if you can't get through your shift, people are counting on you!