Should people be given paid leave to help them stop smoking?

Action Jackson · 25-04-2007, 13:03

Article on the BBC Website:

Quote:

Workers should be given time off without losing pay to attend stop smoking clinics, NHS experts say.

It is part of a range of measures being recommended to businesses by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The watchdog said employers should be doing all they can to help staff give up smoking in the lead up to the start of the ban in England on 1 July.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6589285.stm

I'm all for helping people to give up smoking, but to give them paid leave is just ludicrous. If these people really wanted to give up smoking then they would have donated their own time in an effort to do so.

Cue lots of people exploiting this opportunity and taking as much time off as they can get away with. Meanwhile, the non-smokers who are still stuck at work have to cover for them.

Yet another poorly thought out pie-in-the-sky initiative.

prawncocktail · 25-04-2007, 13:14

sure as long as they use their holiday allowance and dont get any extra days

**Chris** · 25-04-2007, 13:17

As if they don't get enough 'time off' as it is for fag breaks!

Action Jackson · 25-04-2007, 13:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by skirkby

sure as long as they use their holiday allowance and dont get any extra days

Nope. It's all additional and paid for by the company.

Providing you live in England, you should start smoking so you can get time off.

Hom3r · 25-04-2007, 13:22

Can we have a Mod put a vote on this thread

punky · 25-04-2007, 13:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hom3r

Can we have a Mod put a vote on this thread

Good idea as its a question.

Added.

superbiatch · 25-04-2007, 13:27

I work for a stop smoking service and we can virtually cater for anyone. We work late nights most of the week and have venues all over the area i work in. Saturdays will be worked in future, if there is a need for it.

I personally don't feel there is really a need for staff to be given paid time off.

Another suggestion is to bring in the local stop smoking service, we have a workplace advisor who will generally run sessions within the workplace provided there are 10 or more people wanting to quit.

**David F** · 25-04-2007, 13:27

From what I can make out from the 1 oclock news and the guy who was interviewed led me to believe its only for 15 minute sections and will be on site so its hardly a big deal if you ask me

orangebird · 25-04-2007, 13:29

I think you're all getting a little overexcited...

My friend attended cessation appointments last year. I think they were about an hour, once a week. It's not exactly a week off at a time attending a seminar, is it?! It's an hour a week (4 hours a month say), compared to ten hours a month having fag breaks (assuming you have three fags a day at ten mins each). I don't see the problem.

Action Jackson · 25-04-2007, 13:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

From what I can make out from the 1 oclock news and the guy who was interviewed led me to believe its only for 15 minute sections and will be on site so its hardly a big deal if you ask me

On-site assistance was given as a possible option but at the moment they are looking at people attending NHS clinics outwith their workplaces.

Damien · 25-04-2007, 13:32

It was an idea by some 'NHS Experts' its not being seriously considered.

Action Jackson · 25-04-2007, 13:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangebird

I think you're all getting a little overexcited...

My friend attended cessation appointments last year. I think they were about an hour, once a week. It's not exactly a week off at a time attending a seminar, is it?! It's an hour a week (4 hours a month say), compared to ten hours a month having fag breaks (assuming you have three fags a day at ten mins each). I don't see the problem.

Then they should do it after work on their own time.

You say it's better than letting an employee have lots of fag breaks, but employers should be enforcing the issue that anyone wanting to smoke can only do so during their designated breaks. Too many employers allow people to smoke when they want.

superbiatch · 25-04-2007, 13:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Action Jackson

Then they should do it after work on their own time.

Which they can do, can't understand why this even made it onto the news!

Action Jackson · 25-04-2007, 13:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by superbiatch

Which they can do, can't understand why this even made it onto the news!

Because the NHS 'experts' realise that people are lazy and won't give up their own time to stop smoking, but will gladly give it a go if it means that they can get time off work to do it.

superbiatch · 25-04-2007, 13:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Action Jackson

Because the NHS 'experts' realise that people are lazy and won't give up their own time to stop smoking, but will gladly give it a go if it means that they can get time off work to do it.

We get people sent to us all the time who are 'told' to come by various health professionals etc. Unless people want to quit and are motivated to, they will not - simple as that.

AFAIAC its no use making it as simple as possible, if its just going to be used as another fag break and wasting my (and my colleagues) time.

If someone wants to quit, they will make the effort.