UK:Smokers are told to work king-size hours() (fwd)

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

Smokers are told to work king-size hours

by TIM JONES Times Of London (1602) UK;  Date: Friday, 1/15/99
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DIEHARD smokers among a council's staff have been told they must work an
extra 2 hours a week to make up for their cigarette breaks. 

Thurrock council in Essex says that every time a smoker leaves the
building to satisfy the nicotine craving it places an unfair extra
workload on a non-smoking colleague. 

They will therefore be asked to sign a contract extending their working
hours from 37 to 39 hours a week. The policy is based on the assumption
that smokers take two 15-minute breaks a day to leave the office and light
up. Manny Lewis, the council's head of personnel, said that as part of the
drive to eradicate smoking the council and the local health authority had
earmarked £10,000 to provide professional counsellors to help people to
kick the habit.

He said: "This is being introduced to safeguard the health and safety of
all our employees and to minimise our legal liability. We do not want to
be hit by a huge damages claim for injuries caused by passive smoking." 

The council banned desktop smoking many years ago, and instead provided
smoking rooms. But these have just been abolished. Martin Mallin, the
council's spokesman, said: "We are not seeking to be draconian, but our
community consultations show that health is a number one priority.

"We can hardly educate people about healthcare if we allow smoking in our
own offices. And why should smokers take breaks which are not allowed to
other workers?" 

But Pat McMaster, 53, a dedicated smoker who works in the council's
property services department, claimed the policy was "oppressive". He
said: "When they banned smoking at the desks they gave us smoking rooms,
which we accepted. Now those have been taken away and we have to stand
outside in the cold. This has nothing to do with health. It is all to do
with money. They forget the unpaid overtime we all put in." 

However, Mrs Sally Fisher, a non-smoker, said: "I welcome this move and
believe that if they must smoke it is only fair they should work longer
hours." 

Although the policy includes most of the council's 4,500 employees,
open-air workers such as road sweepers and gravediggers will be allowed to
puff to their heart's content.