I have now lived long enough to work for multiple companies and have learned the ins and outs of most their policies. One of the things that I have never understood is the benefits that smokers get. It may be a federal law or simply a company's preventative measure, but why do people who smoke get an extra break than what other employees receive.
I have no qualms with smokers except for this one issue, well that and they clutter my fresh air. One has the right to smoke if he or she chooses to do so. My only wish is that every employee is given the same treatment when breaks are taken into consideration. How about giving me a break for not smoking. Better yet, if smokers are getting these benefits because they have an addiction, why not give me 15 minutes a day to browse the internet or play some video games?
Truth be told it isn't so much that they get an extra break, but often times they abuse this luxury and take these 5-15 minute breaks all day for the the 8 hours they work. I have often thought about taking up smoking simply for the convenience. Even if I didn't actually do anything but flash my cigarette box and walk outside to relax for awhile. As much as this drives me nuts, in the end I still have the advantage, because I pay about half on my medical insurance because I don't smoke…
