Smoke breaks to come off meal allowance?

[Mezza]

Apologies if this has been covered in previous posts, but having searched "smoking" and then read through 30 pages of 61 it seemed far simpler to just ask.


Our DOM has no decided that all smoke breaks should be deducted from your 40 min meal allowance.

I'm not going to get into the whole argument of why not etc etc.

I just want to know if he can do this?

Before all the usual suspects bombard this thread about shoting all smokers cos they skive when they should be working etc, let me explain this......
I run the RLE, there is only me in there and i only have a smoke when i'm not busy. I don't drop my work and just pop outside, i finish what i'm doing first. I'm not allowed to take my meal break at the end of my duty and go home early, i'm there every day till at least 14.03 - 14.33, while 90% of the office are sat at home and have been for some time.
I don't begrudge them going early, it's the duties at fault, not the staff.
But if i have to work 8 hrs a day (5-6 of which are indoors) when others are doing about 6 hrs work a day, why shouldn't i be allowed the odd smoke when i'm not busy?

[sophie97]

why shouldn't i be allowed the odd smoke when i'm not busy?

because you are at work perhaps?

Hats off to your dom

[bensonhedge]

It's a doddle inside all day,count yourself lucky your not on delivery.if I where you I,d keep it schtum.

[DirtyHarry]

Smoke breaks will be abolished when we are all chained up to our prep frames.
I'm not a smoker myself, but grace breaks have always been allowed, and it doesn't seem that long ago when people were allowed to smoke at their frames.
Didn't bother me then, doesn't bother me now.

[Anonymouse]

aww, poor smokers.

Can i pop out to take my drug of choice? maybe a beer or two?

[holly123]

Ye same here DOM stopped me nipping out giving the car wash wax and polish while im waiting for mail to be sorted lol

[mr deeds]

he only asked a question???? no matter how silly it was

[leadseal]

Difficult one. In principal it's the correct decision, as why should person A who smokes get more time than Person B who doesn't, away from work.

But, as a previous poster said, grace breaks were always part & parcel of your day. Person B may, for example, be a coffee fiend and need 3 cups on a morning to get them going. He also might then need to go the toilet twice.

It should be down to discretion by the DOM in my opinion, if the workflow isn't through the roof, then why not have a smoke? However, if the mail is piled up on the IPS and prep fittings, then it wouldn't be unreasonable to ask you to work until said mail is cleared?

[krussel]

RM have allowed 10 min grace breaks for years. How do you manage fag breaks.

[clashcityrocker]

RM have allowed 10 min grace breaks for years.

.......where work/time allows.
As the IWT doesn't allow time for them, they no longer really exist.

[POSTMAN]

Ignore the non smokers in the thread,the manager is acting the arse,but not sure what actual policy is or what could be argued for or against.

[Mezza]

As if by magic the idiots appear.


I do a delivery as part of my duty every day. It takes roughly 2hrs and i get back about 12-12.30. I then have my meal break (or i did) whilst watching most staff getting back and going home. Or, standing in the car park smoking. I then have to work till 2.33 booking stuff in. I used to nip out for a smoke while waiting for stuff to book in.

Are staff allowed to go to the toilet 10 times a day if they feel the need?
Are staff allowed to sit about chatting on their mobiles when they should be on IPS, prepping their walks or on delivery?
Are staff allowed to have something to eat whilst prepping or out on delivery - only to get back to the office at 1.15 and say they had no meal break and go home?

The answer in my office to the 3 questions above is yes, so why can i not have a smoke when i have a break in jobs?

[freelunch]

The smokers in our DO are all full-timers. Time for smoke breaks is deducted from their 40 mins.
They're scheduled to take 10 minutes break before going out on delivery and 30 minutes later with their part-time P&L partner.
They opt to take their 10 minute break in two quick cigarette breaks which the DOM allows.
When out on delivery they vary cigarette breaks according to workload and speed of their partner, i.e. they're not creating unnecessary problems or delays.

In practice they're probably taking at least 10 minutes every couple of hours just like the non-smokers drinking mugs of tea, grabbing breakfast or staring into their phones.
If they eat it's just a quick snack towards the end of their work day, when they know they have time to complete.

[Tman]

Although presumably the smokers also take a tea break,grab breakfast or stare into their mobile phones too?
Many/most firms the smokers sign off for ten minutes for a fag break and the time is made up. Funny how RM staff don't usually have to abide by such tight rules but some still manage to gripe about how hard-done-by they are.....

[Mezza]

Funny how RM staff don't usually have to abide by such tight rules but some still manage to gripe about how hard-done-by they are.....

But that's not what i'm talking about is it?
A smoker on a full time delivery will have the ability to have a lot more smoke breaks than me in a normal working day.
I don't have an issue with that.
My issue is that as an indoor member of staff if my smoke breaks have to come off my meal allowance, then it isn't fair.
Remember, i'm not nipping out every 5 mins for a fag, abandoning IPS or prep. I do it between my tasks and it has never affected anyone.