Another smoking question...

nohr4u1yr

I have several employees that have a problem with smokers outside our building. We are in a complex that has muliple companies within it - which makes my situation a little harder to explain to my ee's.

I do have several of my employees that smoke - I can not take the time to be the "smoke police" and ensure that they are smoking in the designated smoking areas.

I received an email today that stated "WAY TO MUCH SMOKE, I'M IN QA AND CAN'T BREATH"

Besides the fact that this employee is a drama queen - any advice that you can give me regarding this situation would be a great help.

I can control my employees regarding smoking right outside but I can not control everyone else.

I hope you all have a great weekend!!!

lnelson

Check your state laws on its smoking laws if any.
Not sure if FL has any.
For your ees follow your policies.

I am in CA and we have state laws that say you cannot smoke within a certain amount of ft of an entrance to a building (window, door, etc.)

Parabeagle

This is a constant problem, wherever you are. But Inelson's right - check your state statutes first. In our company, we also restrict smoking to outside areas only and not within x feet of an entrance. I think about all you can do is ensure your smokers are complying with your policies - and perhaps move them away from the drama queen's affected area, especially if you have laws prohibiting discrimination against smokers (such as Oregon).

Or, provide the drama queen with a portable air purifier. We tried that with one of our severly "allergic" employees who worked next door to someone who smoked and she was happy as a clam that we were trying to help. Personally, I think it was purely a placebo effect, but whatever it takes.

Good luck.

nohr4u1yr

Florida does not have any laws (that I am aware of) that stipulate the how far you should be from a building entrance to smoke.

Also, the owner of our company is a smoker and she smokes out front of the building and honestly doesn't give a rat's ___...(fill in the blank) what the anyone says...she is outside.

So, I will not have "upper management's" approval if I state OUR employees can not smoke right outside.

Ahhh!! Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

Parabeagle

Even if you have no law stipulating distance from an entrance, what's to prevent you from developing your own policy that YOUR employees must follow? Surely the owner would not be averse to cooperating with a minor tweak such as not smoking within 20 feet of an entrance, or something? Or would she?

LivindonSouth

The only other suggestion that comes to mind is to meet with the managers of the other companies and see if you can all reach agreement on a smoking policy in the common smoking area. Maybe approach it as a customer service issue rather than preaching health concerns. I'd start with a memo inviting them all to meet to come up with a solution or either getting them to buy into a suggestion from the portion of the group that will agree to meet.

nohr4u1yr

Don,

Unfortunetly we have already tried that and it lasts for 1 week - no one want's to be the smoke police.

Our company does not have many outside customers (maybe 1 every two weeks) so that approach for our company would not work.

I am not a smoker - and even though I understand my employees digust with the smell how can I approach/solve this.

Thank you!

marc

If it is against the law, call the police and have them show up to issue citations to one and all.

One such visit should be enough.

As though it will happen, this is one of those laws that cannot be enforced without the cooperation of the smokers.

LivindonSouth

I have seen my suggestion work. Get the policy agreed to by the tenants, circulate it and post it near the common area and periodically enforce it. Make examples of violators. If there is no urge to enforce it on the part of the various managers and the employees ignore it, you've done all you can do, especially when your boss is one of the violators.

When all else fails, resort to my old standby. Get a sandwich board which reads, "As soon as your smoke violates my airspace, I start farting. I stop when you stop." Make a contest of it. Pass out cans of Beenie-Weenies to all the non-smokers. Workplace contests can be fun.