Japanese firm gives non-smokers extra six days holiday to compensate for cigarette breaks

[Dalek]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...ix-days-holiday-cigarette-break-a8028541.html

A Japanese company is granting its non-smoking staff an additional six days of holiday a year to make up for the time off smokers take for cigarette breaks.

Marketing firm Piala Inc introduced the new paid leave allowance in September after non-smokers complained they were working more than their colleagues who smoked.

Hirotaka Matsushima, a spokesman for the company, told The Telegraph: "One of our non-smoking staff put a message in the company suggestion box earlier in the year saying that smoking breaks were causing problems."

Following the suggestion, the company's CEO Takao Asuka decided to give non-smoking employees extra time off to compensate, Mr Matsushima added.

The matter has been taken seriously by the Tokyo-based company which is reportedly based on the 29th floor of an office block — making any cigarette break last at least 15 minutes, according to staff.

Mr Asuka hopes the scheme will create an incentive for the company's staff to quit smoking.

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I've been saying this for years! At my first office job it boggled my mind that smokers were entitled to seemingly unlimited smoke breaks. "They're not on break-they're smoking." This was an actual sentence someone said.

 

[pokeystaples]

This is an awesome idea and something I wish would catch on in the US. Smoke breaks are bullshit and often amount to the time of an extra lunch break while the rest of us suckers toil.

 

[Overture]

I could use those extra six days.


Would be nice.

 

[amon37]

Man this would be awesome. Smokers definelty get more break time.

 

[shinken]

Makes sense. Never understood why smokers gets an extra privilege. Too bad I don't live in Japan.

 

[NekoFever]

I'd be all for this. In my first job I knew people who took up smoking specifically because it got them more breaks.

 

[Vipershark]

Please enact this at my job.
There were a few times at my last job where my entire team would leave to smoke and I'd be the only one still inside dealing with customers. It was terrible.

 

[Sectorseven]

Couldn't you take the cigarette breaks anyway and just not smoke?

 

[Psychotext]

I used to take breaks with the smokers when I was an office drone. I mean why not? :)

 

[HStallion]

Do people who don't poop at work get a few extra days to make up for the time used by those who do go number 2?

 

[Deleted member 8197]

You stole my unsuccessful thread man.

 

[MMaRsu]

I never get smoke breaks :(.

 

[Landy828]

I'd push for that at our company...

...but not a single person here smokes. (throws up hands)

Can't catch a break. Haha

 

[Derachi]

Do people who don't poop at work get a few extra days to make up for the time used by those who do go number 2?

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Pretty big difference. Pooping is a necessity, smoking is a choice.

 

[gcwy]

Excellent. Smoking has been dying this past couple of years, though.

 

[Killz4Twinkies]

Could definitely get behind this.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

That would be excellent here, except we're on a no-smoking campus anyway. Granted, we do have one smoker that smokes in her car. I'd be fine with 6 extra vacation days to continue my lifelong non-smoking habit.

 

[Darksol]

Reasonable. Smokers get far too much preferential treatment.

 

[Snowybreak]

Couldn't you take the cigarette breaks anyway and just not smoke?

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And have your boss get up your ass because you aren't working?

 

[san00ake]

I've been living in Japan for 8 years and working here for 5. Smoking is unfortunately a very popular pastime among all age groups and it is extremely rare but much refreshing seeing a Japanese organization, not usually known for their open-mindness and progressiveness, go ahead and do something like this. I sincerely hope it catches on. This and the talk about karoshi on global media makes me hopeful for this country's future for the first time in a ver long time.

 

[Grizzo]

Pretty big difference. Pooping is a necessity, smoking is a choice.

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But isn't a cigarette break just an excuse to have a break anyway? I mean as long as people don't take a cigarette break every hour but like, every three hours, it should be okay, no? I think working non-stop without ever taking a break should not be recommended.

 

[gnomed]

Amazing, that's 3 more than the minimum sick days required by law in California.

 

[Kthulhu]

My office needs to do this but for people who chew.

 

[NES]

Reasonable. Smokers get far too much preferential treatment.

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not sure if this is a serious post, but in California we are chastised pretty severely. I've had complete strangers tell me to put out my cigarette in certain areas of Los Angeles. When I'm smoking somewhere 100% legal to smoke a cig. Its pretty ridiculous.

the way most non-smokers treat smokers is pretty disgusting tbh.

 

[mute]

Great idea.

 

[Falchion]

I would love something like this because god knows a ton of people where I work smoke.

 

[Xe4]

That's an awesome idea I hope they impliment elsewhere.

 

[Saganator]

Six days seems a bit much.

I've only worked in one office, but the smokers I've known and including myself, usually take short/no lunch break and rarely take the full 15 minute break every 2 hours we're supposed to. But I realize there are plenty of other smokers who take excessive breaks.

 

[The Grizz]

I take smoke breaks, just without the smoke. You do realize you can take a break during the day or take a 20 minute dump like the rest of us, right?

 

[WarpSpeedMolasses]

Wish more companies did this.

 

[Random Painted Highway]

I'm with this

 

[Polymath]

I think it's a good step, if it's not incentive for them to stop then increase the amount of days. I do think smoking is still too pervasive within Japanese culture. Personally, I hate to be in a restaurant where a person sat on the table next to me lit one up.

 

[dpunk3]

Vape breaks no longer necessary

 

[RexNovis]

While this is a good idea its kind of a pointless gesture when none of the workers will actually use their vacation days. Most Japanese workers use 10 or less of their average 30 vacation days allotted each year. So 6 extra days does nothing. Its likely just for some good PR and free advertising.

 

[Nightcall]

Good sentiment but that being Japan those extra days are never gonna be used anyway....

 

[XMonkey]

I just take the break like a smoker would and if anyone gives me shit I point out what the smokers get. Easy.

 

[Jubern]

While this is a good idea its kind of a pointless gesture when none of the workers will actually use their vacation days. Most Japanese workers use 10 or less of their average 30 vacation days allotted each year. So 6 extra days does nothing. Its likely just for some good PR and free advertising.

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Good sentiment but that being Japan those extra days are never gonna be used anyway....

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Pretty much how I feel.
For reference, a study from last year or the year before showed that people here take less than half of their paid leave.

And from what I usually see (anecdotal evidence alert) I'd say they usually only use it when convenient for "everyone" - Golden Week, Obon, New Year's, so it's not even as if they choose how to use whatever little leave they take.