How does your workplace deal with the issue of passive smoking?

No smoking is allowed. Not in the buildings. Not on the campus, this includes the parking lot.

No Smoking on the Premises.

Where's there's smoke, you're fired.

And if you work in TV shows, movies etc..here in Japan SMOKING IS EVERY WHERE!!! The director smokes, the camera man smokes, the other actors smoke!!! I hate smoking so it is really bad for me here on tv show jobs in Japan!

Simple, as CEO, I deliberately chose a no smoking building.

I work for a health and nutritional supplement company. In keeping with our corporate principles, there is no smoking in the office, in the building, on the grounds, or in the general vincinity of the offices where any of our associates or customers can see our staff. They are further forbidden to smoke anywhere while visibly wearing articles of company logo clothing, and there is no smoking allowed at company functions.

Lately, I have been going into a lot of big office buildings where the smokers come down into the lobby or go outside for a smoke. It seems a waste of productivity time for the employees to leave the office, go to the elevator and go down to the lobby for a 15-minute break and then come back up again.

At our office, the smokers go out onto the balcony to puff away, but that's wasting time also.

While the building where our office is has two smoking rooms on the ground floor, I still have to deal with the foul odor coming from the smokers.

No smoking in this building. Smokers take the elevator to a smoke cloud filled smoking room. Elevators always stink of bad smoke breath.

No smoking in the office. There is a smoking room on B1. But people usually do not use that and prefer to smoke outdoors on 1F.

We have a smoking room that all of the smokers maintain. Got one of those smoking tables with the air filter built in, as well as two large windows and an exhaust fan, and a daily rotation for cleaning responsibilities.

Companies should be cutting the salaries of smokers to compensate for the downtime when they duck out for a puff. This was a big issues in Australia a few years ago. They wanted to cut the smokers salaries by three hours a week cos while they were out committing a slow suicide the non-smokers were still hard at it.

When will smokers get the point? There is no smoking in buildings, on streets or at beaches. And, smoking should be banned in all restaurants and pubs. Just give up the disgusting things.

no smoking inside the office, but some colleagues still do. "why complain, we have an airpurifier" yet the office reeks of tobacco. Then when you go outside to the hallway theres a small kitchen where they all smoke together. And if you need water you really need a gasmask cause the smell and the air is SMOKETHICK. I nearly cant breathe there and they dont open a window, nothing. its horrible.

Getting the smokers to pop outside or into a 'smoking room' while they puff is only part of it; smokers continue to exhale toxic fumes for up to an hour after they stub the fag-end out in the ashtray. They should be denied entry to the workplace until their breath registers smoke-free on a baccy-breathalyser. And of course it's only fair that they should be docked pay for the time they spend out of the workplace.

My workplace? I'm my own boss, so smoking isn't an issue. Lots of dog and cat hair on the floor, though.

They head up to the ventilated smoking room - only one in the building. I don't have an issue with short smoke breaks as long as it helps them work harder as a result. Just sitting in front of a computer all day with no breaks doesn't mean a person is being productive. My coworkers all brush their teeth, have mints, and use "fabreeze" so they don't stink up the whole room.

I know work in a research institution and there's a smoking ban (except in a small ventilated smoking room). However, for a few months I worked in a mall family-owned business and the owner smoked a lot ("I do whatever I want in my own house"), including in front of customers (including children), which made him loose some.

erm... no smoking in the office?

Smokers should have their pay docked for every minute they are outside the office smoking.

Some of my former workmates have had smoko breaks almost every hour. Add up the lost productivity there and it's all bad.

My company will not hire smokers.

I don't allow smoking on the premises.

I won't employ a smoker. Yes, it's discriminatory, but I don't care.

it's a non issue, so we don't deal with it.

not really sure how passive smoking would be that much of an issue..why would non-smokers go near/into designated smoking areas which are pretty common in most companies.

Judderman,

Some 'designated smoking areas' are the doorway to the building or when it is 'outside' it ends up being the doorway when it rains. If the smokers' area is enclosed and separate, then, yes, you're right why would non-smokers go there.

working in a hazardous place, smoking is out of the question. some smokers used to puff outsides, near an emergency stairways, until one day some butts ignited and we had a very smoky and smelly fire. So now they have to go somewhere outside where there is a smoking area. it's pretty far and out in the cold/hot, so maybe it will help them quit?

they take the elevator downstairs and puff away on a closed room. I wish they took the stairs.

Passive smoking is not only at the workplace.Going out for a coffee, for lunch or dinner, or just for a walk, and you go home + one cigarette(at least).

What issue? People don't smoke in the office. They go to the smoking lounge where it doesn't affect anyone but busybodies.

In my office smokers take all manner of breaks. I just equal it out by taking non-smoking breaks. Thing is, when I come back from break, I dont stink of tobacco. Our office has a pretty good no-smoking policy, and the rooms are separate filtered and away from work offices, but when people come back from the smoke room... you could dump a full ashtray on my desk and it would stink less.

I figure I should start smoking fat cigars in the smoking section and wait for people to complain. (I do smoke cigars, but not indoors except for cigar bars...) Anyway. If anyone complains about the cigar smoke, I'll just tell them to ^%$#( d^%$. When HR gets involved, I'll tell them I'll stop smoking cigars when the building becomes TRULY smoke free.

My place the go out side usually the back door where nobody can see them. The polite smoker brushes his/her teeth or mouthwash.

So Japanese smokers are polite(above statement), some are not. I appreciate it if they eat 10 breath mints before talking to me. Also not taking a shower and smelly BO (body odor ) bothers me the most on the train and just walking past somebody.

Taking shower in the morning us righteous. Also eatting natto sandwiches or omiboshi with hard boiled eggs without brushing your teeth is badddddddddddd.

Smokers breath is the worst kind of odor in the world.

All of them go outside to smoke - sorry iPhone typo

@papasmurfinjapan "I won't employ a smoker. Yes, it's discriminatory, but I don't care." that seems like you really limiting your self and your company. I hope I dont buy and products from your company. 1st off how do you know if someone is a smoker? I worked at my school for 2 years before anyone found out I enjoyed a puff from time to time. Plenty of people I work with only smoke on their off hours. Are those people you wouldn't hire either? Why dont you just hire a smoker and not allow smoke breaks. you could be turning down some great employees. I get that you dont want smoking around and the constant wasted time, but not hiring out of priciable seems really short sited.

@papasmurfinjapan "I won't employ a smoker. Yes, it's discriminatory, but I don't care." that seems like you really limiting your self and your company.

Doesn't matter, really. People that short-sighted either wind up getting sued into the ground or going bankrupt. I would be worried about working for anyone like that - even if I quit smoking, I'm sure there's something distasteful in my lifestyle that would warrant harassment from management like that.

In the late sixties and early seventies, my HS had a smoking lounge for the students. Kept the toilets cleaner that way.

goddog as did my school.

Reason is in my country(aleast back in the day) smoking was legal at a 16.

Smell was bad when the opened the door.

1st off how do you know if someone is a smoker?

Stinky breath, stinky clothes, yellow fingertips. Lack of stamina.

you could be turning down some great employees

Depends on the position. Smokers demonstrate their lack of critical decision-making skills when they make the decision to burn money and wreck their own health; why should a potential employer assume they'll be able to make better decisions when it comes to crucial matters that affect his business?

Smoking is something that no one needs to do. Again, the occasional ciggie isn't going to kill anyone, but like all junkies smokers go into denial over the severity of their addiction; the hard-core 20-a-day chimney will tell you he has no more than the 'occasional' ciggie - and believe himself.

I think the only workplaces where passive smoking is really a problem are bars and restaurants. Non-smoking workers and customers have to put up with it.

@cleo you are very judgmental. For all intensive purposes I am a smoker and I have NONE of those things. Not everybody smoke 2 packs a day. I smoke maybe 2 packs a month. Lack of Stamina. I go to a power lifting gym 4 days a week. I don't have bad breath. Trust me my girlfriend would tell me if I did, she would not hesitate. She would also tell me if my clothes smelled becuase she does not like smoking. and I am looking at my nice pinkwhite finger nails right now. I have noticed you on here a lot cleo. I am sad to see that you can so easily just lump everybody into one category.

"Depends on the position. Smokers demonstrate their lack of critical decision-making skills when they make the decision to burn money and wreck their own health; why should a potential employer assume they'll be able to make better decisions when it comes to crucial matters that affect his business?" what about drinkers?!?! Drinking is bascily the 2nd leading cause of death in ALL industrialed nations. Along with smoking drinking leads to cancer and heart diseases and obesity. Lets not talk about drunk driving or anything or effects from drinking. Some people need their vices to stay sane. I gave up drinking becuase I realized it was the doing nothing good for me. It cost a lot and was going to kill me sooner than anything else in my life. I need a vice from time to time. A smoke helps. If anything, me smoking shows I am a BETTER critical thinker. I am able to look at my life and weigh my choices. I am sorry you are so quick to judge people.

no smoking in or around my office. it's cracking! the wheezers have to walk 5 minutes to a smoking corner

kujira -

After watching both parents smoke themselves into an early grave (all the time claiming, as you do, that they didn't smoke that much and anyway the occasional ciggie never hurt anyone), yes I will reserve the right to be judgmental over smoking.

Some people need their vices to stay sane.

My parents used to say the exact same thing. At least they had the excuse that when they started smoking as teenagers they didn't know what we know now about the health risks of smoking; it was conversely seen as something that was good for the nerves. But that was then, this is now, the risks are well-known and publicised, and the idea in the face of all the evidence that 'a smoke helps' tells me that you are just one more smoker who is in denial.

Moderator: Back on topic please. The question concerns passive smoking.

sushisake3 you wrote that

Smokers should have their pay docked for every minute they are outside the office smoking. Some of my former workmates have had smoko breaks almost every hour. Add up the lost productivity there and it's all bad.

Look, Japan ain't Australia. Just cuz some of your mates or coworkers have a smoko don't mean the overall productivity is really going to suffer that much. In my experience I rarely meet people taking hourly smokos.

My two places, one has a sealed smoking room where "they" go to get their fix, the other just banned it anywhere at all on the the property, "they" have to go out on the street out of view. So passive smoking at work - zero chance. It's great!

just don't hire them

I used to work for an international company catering to different nationalities. The company itself is Japanese, but has a foreigner staff of about 500. Since the clients also come to the office for meetings, planning and sometimes, even during the construction phase of the project. The company has set up spaces for smokers; two smoking rooms on different floors for employees (out of a total of 20+ floors), and one smoking corner each for the clients' respective areas.

Yes, there would be passive smoke specially in the clients' areas, and near the smoking rooms ... but if anyone does not want to inhale any of the smoke, stay away from these areas ... simple and effective.