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The classic workplace quandary: should smoking breaks in the workplace be allowed?

Once an inalienable tradition, now a bone of contention. There is no denying that smokers need their nicotine (despite the legislation of recent years, a 2014 Guardian article noted that over 18% of the UK's adult population are still regular smokers) but given that smoking is a selection, should workers that smoke do have more time far from their workstation than non-smoking colleagues?

The financial cost

Research published in 2014 by the British Heart Foundation unearthed that four ten-minute smoke breaks per day are costing British business £8.4bn each year; or to break it down a little further, that £1,815 each year for every full-time smoking worker.

That's plenty of money.

The affect productivity

Needless to say, money isn't the only real kelowna vape shop, and in terms of overall productivity, a quarrel may be designed for the enhanced mental focus that follows a short break - that moment of peace and reflection may mean that a freshly-nicotined smoker is more productive compared to the colleague who hasn't taken a break.

However, the commentary in the report shows that the same smoker can have been less productive prior to the break and the'dip'and the'boost'cancel one another out. Add to that the fact that smokers take more sick leave on average and the affect productivity is certainly in the negative.

What does regulations say?

To start with, there is no legal to a smoke break and smoking in the workplaceis acceptable but only on your own official break.

The Working Time Regulations claim that anybody working a shift of 6 hours or even more is entitled to a 20-minute break far from the workplace but there's no specific mention of smoking.

What's more, enclosed spaces (i.e. anywhere inside) are required by law to be smoke-free.

The days of the staff room having tar-yellow walls are long gone.

What's a good policy to have?

It's entirely up you being an employer whether you intend to allow smoking breaks.

Provided that you're not in cheap e juice of the regulations on rest breaks in general, then you can more or less do what you need on the tobacco front.

However, many businesses are reluctant to set a policy; not wanting to encounter as Big Brother, constantly monitoring their workers'movements.

But any business is allowed to expect a worker to include enough time they're contract for and the only real breaks to which workers are entitled are those laid down in either the Regulations or their contract.

This is often why a short but clear smoking policy may be helpful.

If you intend to allow smoking breaks then use it in writing, and state exactly what a reasonable number and length of breaks is in your workplace. Like that, even when there is dissatisfaction, it will be with the policy (a bit of paper) and you're less inclined to have conflict between smoking and non-smoking staff.