Did you see that LiveScience.com article about the work habits of smokers vs. non-smokers? It essentially says that non-smokers are better workers because smokers have a tendency to quit before serving their full term, take more sick days, and receive more disciplinary measures.
I don’t know about all that, but I do know that personally speaking, I am definitely a much better worker now that I don’t smoke. I used to be a pack-a-day smoker and when I worked at an office job that meant stepping outside at least once an hour for a quick smoke. That impromptu smoke break often lasted 5 minutes or more if a friend was out there smoking too because obviously we’d spend some time chatting.
I was far less productive than co-workers who didn’t smoke, and many of them (rightly) complained that it wasn’t fair how smokers were able to take all these extra breaks during the day.
Oh, well — not like it matters now. I quit smoking and I work from home, so whatever!
March 30th, 2007 at 9:01 am
I’m a smoker who didn’t smoke at work unless I was on a legitimate break. Like the 2 15 minutes, or the half hour lunch. That was my time, not on company dime, so I felt I could smoke.
I never took on the clock smoke breaks.
I also never had too many sick days until the end of my career when my back started flaking out all the time and it became a never ending cycle of doctors visits. It had nothing to do with my smoking habit, it was an orthopedic surgical issue. I ended up quitting that last job because I knew I couldn’t do it anymore and trying to show up, was futile.
Maybe the majority of smokers at work do that stuff, but not all of us did.
March 30th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Yeah, I admit I was a bad worker. But in my defense, I was like 22, 23 at the time and was still basically in college mode. If I still smoked today, I definitely wouldn’t do it on company time anymore.