[GMack]

I'm in the process of putting all my polices in writing in the form of an employee handbook. I've been thinking about banning smoking. My current employee smokes and is allowed to smoke during his break but that is it. At the very least, this would be my policy, though I'd love to get rid of it altogether.

Has anyone banned it entirely? Are there any legal issues to consider?

I used to smoke and couldn't care less what people do when they're not at work but don't like the image it presents about Mack Painting.

Thoughts?

Mack

 

[timhag]

I'm a skoal snuffer myself, currently none of my worker are smokers. I have had smokers in the past and my rule was for them to smoke in their vehicles or down the street away from the customers home. I have no problem with smokers as long as its done respectfully.

 

[Housepainter]

You could do what the old Sarg did... may sure they do not through down the butts, etc. Again it should be aways from the house or business you are working on. Of course the best thing would be not to have to worry about it, with workers who smoke, but then we are not in a perfect world..

 

[The paint whisperer]

I have had smokers in the past and my rule was for them to smoke in their vehicles or down the street away from the customers home. I have no problem with smokers as long as its done respectfully.[/quote]



I don't have any employee.
But if i do, i would have done the same thing

 

[Kelly Painting]

I'm a smoker...terrible, dirty habit. I go out for one every hour or so, tried to quit recently with chanitx...didn't work...going to try gum next. Allot of high end Boston company's are advertising for help, saying No smokers, so why not you?

 

[cole191919]

I personally wouldn't ban it. I use to smoke and did so on a respectable basis, meaning I did it in my car or away from the customers property. I cared about what the clients thought of my work and me as a worker back then and I do even more now.

Having said that, my boss allowed me to smoke during work and if I wasn't allowed to have my smokes I would have been one cranky camper, done crappy work due to the fact I would only be thinking I want to smoke but I'm not allowed to, and I would have been mad at my employer for not letting me.

I say give them the choice to do so, but on your terms only.

 

[timhag]

Having said that,

You're not Simon Cowell are you?

 

[GMack]

I think this is a tough issue . . .

What do I really want to do? No smoking ever at all. If you walk away from the customer's house, you're still wearing a company shirt, or standing by the company van, waving to the neighbor driving by while you exhale, smelling like smoke when you come back into the house.

I think the reason I posed the question is to see if people hammered me for being too heavy-handed or something.

Thanks for the great responses. I haven't decided on this one yet.

Mack

 

[HomeGuardPaints]

the problem with allowing smoking and requiring it to be away from the property is employee a gets 5-6 5 minute breaks throughout the day thats 25- 30 minutes lost productivity. It's best to not allow smoking while on the clock and at the property. So if they get a 15 and a 30 minute break during an 8, they better get 1 before the day gets started, 1 on the 15, and 2 at lunch.


just my 4 cents (damn inflation)

 

[Rich]

NO SMOKING. Period. It's not against the law to say so. It is nasty and kills people. Period. The harsher we get, hopefully the better it will get (here come the pessimists).

I almost lost a 6K job because of a smoker who was working with me, and he was even dropping the ends in his pocket.

The only reason the government hasn't shut down every nasty cigarette making facility in the US is because of $$$$ and loss of jobs for thousands of people. I say big deal. I'd rather people struggle than create something that is killing thousands of people per day.

I witnessed my grandfather pass away 7 years ago from cancer caused by years of smoking.

I quit smoking 7 years ago

 

[Dave Mac]

One of the first questions I ask when someone is applying for a job with me is do you smoke?? If they say yes, I usually tell them we are not hiring for that position anymore. Smokers are not as productive as non smokers imo.

 

[T200]

If you're planning to forbid smoking, you should just fire him.
Any smoker or ex-smoker knows it's nearly impossible to refrain from lighting up for 8 hours or more.
He'll find a place to light up when he thinks you're not looking.
You may find him.
Then what?
(Repeat)
If everything else about him is good, you may wish to consider some sort of compromise.

I say this as an ex-smoker who quit with the help of gum.

I've had guys who smoked and I let them smoke on exterior work but not interior. Despite my regular repeated requests, I still found butts all over the place. On interior jobs, we were losing over an hour per day on smokers going outside to smoke. I try to avoid hiring smokers. If I had a smoker working for me, I'd probably pay him less than I would if he smoked (because of the lost time)--and offer him a small pay raise as an inducement to quit.

 

[JNLP]

I wouldn't ban smoking completely, as it's their right to smoke. However, I would ban them from smoking during working time. Just like you wouldn't let people take 4-5 munchy breaks a day. If they want to take a walk during their 2 15s or lunch though, who are we to say no.

Same goes for exteriors. I recently seen a truck go up in flames from a dropped cherry in a drop cloth during clean up.

Smoking is bad anyways. I smoked for 10 years & just quit on New Years. Love the difference I can already feel when climbing, running, and doing the dirty. :thumbup:

 

[GMack]

If you're planning to forbid smoking, you should just fire him.
Any smoker or ex-smoker knows it's nearly impossible to refrain from lighting up for 8 hours or more.
He'll find a place to light up when he thinks you're not looking.
You may find him.
Then what?
(Repeat)
If everything else about him is good, you may wish to consider some sort of compromise.

I say this as an ex-smoker who quit with the help of gum.

I've had guys who smoked and I let them smoke on exterior work but not interior. Despite my regular repeated requests, I still found butts all over the place. On interior jobs, we were losing over an hour per day on smokers going outside to smoke. I try to avoid hiring smokers. If I had a smoker working for me, I'd probably pay him less than I would if he smoked (because of the lost time)--and offer him a small pay raise as an inducement to quit.

I'm not going to fire a good worker because I'm banning smoking! I'm going to give him an oppurtunity to succeed under the new rules. Say i do go ahead and ban it. Now he has the choice to quit, I don't need to fire him first.

Now, if he wants to take the chance of smoking while I'm not around and possibly getting caught that would also be his choice. I know for a fact, though, that he knows just as surely if I caught him being dishonest like that, he'd be gone before he could extinguish the butt, no questions, no excuses. That's the way I am and he knows it.

As for losing time to smokers, that's just another thing I already won't put up with. Smokers get breaks like everyone else. They don't get more. When you are working for me and I'm on the job, I dare you to walk outside and light up! Won't happen. Not trying to play internet tough-guy here, that's just the way it is. If an employee chose to skirt whatever the rule was when I wasn't around then, like I said, he's taking his chances.

Mack

 

[Rich]

who are we to say no.

we=you

you=the boss

the boss=calls whatever shots he wants

 

[JNLP]

True. So since McDonalds is bad for your health, does that mean we should ban workers from eating it at lunch when they're off the property, away from us, and it is perfectly legal to eat those burgers in the spot they're eating?

Come on now... I don't smoke but still believe in peoples rights here. When they pass a law stating otherwise, my opinion will change. So if they decide they don't like your rule, and smoke while on their lunch break OFF THE JOB SITE, what are you going to do fire them? Better hope they're an idiot & don't fight that one. :thumbsup:

 

[Rich]

JMCP

It's cool man...I like this place because we can freely talk about our opinions. That being said...

I personally think fast food and smoking are the same. They both are unnecessary and kill people. I also believe in people's rights...the constitution...all that stuff, BUT...

I believe if people can't/won't/don't care to take care of themselves, someone needs to step in and do something. Have you seen the new trend in schools? They've started taking out unhealthy food because kids don't know better. Well...adults are supposed to know better and still eat the junk!

In keeping more in line with the thread...why wouldn't someone want a smoke free policy? Smoking has 0 good effects and hundreds of bads. Why defend it or those who do it?

 

[cole191919]

Saying that non smokers are more productive then smokers is very stereotypical and judgmental. I've worked with guys who never smoked and were very slow. I used to smoke and I am not trying to toot my own horn here but I work hard. Especially since I like the job I have and had. When I care about my work I can be as productive as anyone. And I was a smoker. Just because you don't necessarily personally agree with smoking doesn't mean you have to put a stamp on their forehead saying "lazy and unproductive".

If you have an employee who is unproductive and lazy and smokes, I bet you if he quit he would still be unproductive and lazy.

I used to set occasional goals for myself for the time periods for when I go smoke. ie: I'll finish 2 coats on the living room and then I'll go for a smoke. Not only did I smoke less, but I was concentrating on getting things done while working towards my next break.

Just a few thoughts

 

[GMack]

Come on now... I don't smoke but still believe in peoples rights here. When they pass a law stating otherwise, my opinion will change. So if they decide they don't like your rule, and smoke while on their lunch break OFF THE JOB SITE, what are you going to do fire them? Better hope they're an idiot & don't fight that one. :thumbsup:[/quote]

IF that's the rule than they should be written up, get one more chance, third time they're gone. Here's the thing, IF I make a rule it will be enforced. That's why I'm thinking so hard before I make the rule . . . Leads me to a question: Even though they've left the job for lunch (something that doesn't happen anyway on my jobs, we bring our lunch), if they're wearing my shirt can I still enforce the rules in my handbook while they're at a deli or something? Anyone know, legally?

Mack

 

[NEPS.US]

I used to smoke...quit 4 years ago....Now I think I am over sensitive to it..I really find myself looking down on it....I have a couple guys that smoke...I cant get it through their heads..."out of site out of mind".....I dont want to see it...I dont want my customers to see it and I dont want potential customers to see one of my guys in my lettered clothing hangin out smoking....been trying to let it slide to keep a positive work enviroment...but....Its gettin banned in my company March 1.... New handbook coming out....