Smoke Breaks There is a lot of controversy over the allowance of employee smoke breaks. Some employees say that the employees that smoke end up getting more smoke breaks than the employees that do not smoke. Concerns about one’s health of breathing in smoke from cigarettes is another issue that is raised. A lot of companies have concerns that if they do not provide smoke breaks than their employees will just take unauthorized breaks to go smoke. To take care of this problem companies should just provide their normal break schedule for all their employees whether they smoke or not. By companies banning their employees from smoking can infringe on the employee’s right to of privacy. This right …show more content…
This is one solution that could help keep employees from taking unauthorized smoke breaks. Also having a separate smoking policy stated in the employee handbook that each employee must sign stating that they have read and understood the smoking policies that are in place would make sure make sure that employees understand what the consequences are if they break that policy. The company handbook must make it very clear what the penalties are for breaking the company’s smoking rules and these rules must be enforced. The rules banning employees from smoking in the workplace have come about from concerns of health and safety of employees. This is to protect everyone’s health whether you are a smoker or …show more content…
Most hospitals, like Saint Francis Hospital, have a policy that states “Saint Francis is a 100% tobacco-free zone. Smoking by patients, employees, and visitors are not permitted anywhere in the Hospital or on the grounds or within the blue “no smoking” lines surrounding the Hospital” (Saint Francis Hospital, 2013). This Hospital for instance goes above and beyond to help its employees to quit smoking. Saint Francis Hospital offers classes and programs such as acupuncture and a hypnotist to help their employees to quit smoking.
With a hospital, the image is all about having a clean bill of health. They do not want the first image in your mind when you come to a hospital is to see people smoking right outside the doors. If you see a doctor or nurse standing outside smoking, than proceed to lecture their patients about not smoking, which would be very hypocritical of them. Whereas with a bank or office you don’t make that connection of having that medical feel or image of a clean bill of health. Lots of office buildings and banks will let its employees smoke outside in designated areas so many feet away from their