Smoking breaks for exempt ee

sk8n

Ours is a "non-smoking" office, by policy: "...smoking in the offices and facilities is strictly prohibited" and until about a year ago, none of the 10 employees smoked (that I knew of) during work hours. With a new hire, however, that changed, and not only did she take several smoking breaks a day (outside), another ee began going with her. Now there are about four on a regular basis who take smoking breaks together (and they say it is for 'social' reasons they smoke here). Sometimes they are all outside for 15-20 minutes at a time. On several occasions I couldn't find any of these ees in the office -- for phone calls, to answer a question, etc. These are all exempt, manager level people. Last week, due to floating holiday schedules, 4 of the six people here were outside smoking and I couldn't get several questions answered and my work was interrupted looking for them...my personal feelings about smoking aside, I see a lot of wasted time, lost productivity, not only for them, but for me when I am trying to get work done and can't find one or more of them.

The question is: Can I ask them not to take breaks together(that if someone want to go outside to smoke, it should be one at a time). How can I not destroy morale and still get them to understand that everyone taking a smoking break at the same time, several times a day is unproductive and needs to stop.

This office is fairly 'casual' and ees have a lot of perks, from company paid group lunches twice a month and ice cream parties, to full-day staff outings 3 times a year for "jobs well done"- and latitude with flexible schedules, etc. I feel like this is one more opportunity to take advantage...but maybe I am being unreasonable.

Any thoughts, please, would be appreciated. Thanks.

Whatever

NYC does not allow any smoking in office buildings or factories. When the law went into effect, it was made clear that smoking was limited to the one break in the morning, one break in the afternoon and lunch. Management was told by the president that they were expected to set the example. Haven't had a problem.

Rockie

We had this almost exact same situation in our Business Office. The group felt compelled to smoke "enmass". The elevators smelled horrible because they were too winded to walk up the stairs.

We had to outlaw employees going outside for breaks. They can only use the breakroom on each floor and they are not allowed to smoke in there. The only time they can smoke is before work, lunch break and when they leave.

Yes, there was grumbling, screaming, gnashing of teeth and calls for burning the supervisor in effigy. Bottom line was....we had asked these employees over and over again not to leave en mass, not to extend their breaks, etc. and so on. They ignored the requests and this was the consequence of their behavior.

Many of our employees are too busy to even take a break (except for bathroom and a quick drink of water) and to see an entire department leave to go smoke and gossip on the back patio was a morale buster also.

Anyway...they are slowly getting over it and this is a much better situation. They are actually getting some work done.

marc

What frosts me about this situation is the phrase, "These are all exempt, manager level people."

Don't manager level people have an idea that they are disrupting the business? Where is their obligation to getting the work done, and by the way, who do the report to that is allowing this to happen? Someone is not minding the store very well, and when management level people are the perpetrators, it is time to shake things up a bit. I don't know if it is your place to do so, but don't let it become the "elephant in the room" that everyone ignores.

sk8n

They probably don't have a clue they are disrupting things. Most of the time their absence goes unnoticed -- until I need something, or realize phones aren't being answered in their offices. The number of them leaving at the same time just recently escalated and I am now aware. (They all report to me.) I just didn't know what "damage" (morale) I would do by restricting breaks for exempt people. They have begun taking advantage (abusing their time flexibility), and I am going to address it with each one individually. One ee is reputed to say that they are 'entitled' to breaks for every three hours of work...she still doesn't get the concept that she is not hourly or non-exempt - which I have explained to her when she was 'watching the clock' for departure daily.

I'm already 'the bad guy' for other rules enforcement; one more can't make it much worse!

Thanks for your advice.

SMace

Talk to them about it. Explain the situations where you had a difficult time because they were all gone.

We have a dept that all goes out and smokes together, but they work their axx off and noone minds they take a break.

If your talk with them doesn't work, I would talk to their supervisor. If you are their supervisor tell them what their expectations are and if they don't meet them follow your disciplinary process.