Non-smokers get six days extra paid leave to make up for smokers' cigarette breaks at Japanese firm

telegraph ^ | October 30 2017 | Julian Ryall

[Morgana]

A Japanese company is granting non-smoking employees an extra six days of paid holidays a year after they complained that they were working more than staff who took time off for cigarette breaks.

Tokyo-based marketing firm Piala Inc. only introduced the non-smokers' perk in September, but employees have been quick to take advantage.

"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", said Hirotaka Matsushima, a spokesman for the company.

"Our CEO saw the comment and agreed, so we are giving non-smokers some extra time off to compensate", Mr Matsushma told The Telegraph.

[RedStateRocker]

Kind of depends on if you are getting paid to produce X amount of work or getting paid to provide a service for specific hours.

I can get more work done in 4 hours than some of my co-workers can in 8. I only use the web from work on breaks and lunch, but I spend a solid two hours a day in learning new stuff that directly applies to work; my boss knows I’d be perfectly happy with more work but she’s cool with me working on my VBA chops for tweaking Access and Excel, or learning Spanish, since I more than get enough done; OTOH, when the work is coming in fast and furiously I’ll blow off a break or shorten my lunch...

Actually, in some production jobs, if a person can meet their quota and go for the occasional smoke break (and others are not dependent on them actually being there, just producing enough at the right time) then so what? But if it’s a job where you are manning a phone or piece of machinery at X times then suck it up and deal.

Just my .02 having been on all sides (smoker, non smoker, peon, boss)..

[Vigilanteman]

I worked for two big name companies in Japan. The first one banned smoking in the common office areas after I suggested we get those smokeless ashtrays which vacuumed in the odors. The senior executive who made the decision had worked in the New York office and could see it coming. I wasn't popular with some of my co-workers at first, but they got over it because I did more than my share of work. They also appreciated the excuse to leave their desks.

Not long after, an even bigger named company recruited me with higher pay, nice company housing and other bennies. The smoking culture there was even more horrific than the first. I had to go to the loo (or step outside) to get fresh air, beleive it or not.

Then one day, they announced they would be installing carpeting over the weekend and smoking would thereafter be banished to designated break rooms.

The first company had a reunion last November and invited me to go back . . . I had a wonderful time hobnobbing with my former co-workers. Anyone who wanted to smoke went outside. My daughter, who works there now, says that is pretty much the rule throughout Japan. Japan Tobacco, the once government owned monopoly, has long since privatized and has more export sales to places like China than domestic sales. Non tobacco products such as canned juice, coffee, soft drinks and anything else sold in vending machines now make up the bulk of their domestic sales.

[Boomer]

I’m good with this. It not only rewards people for not using up valuable work time; it rewards them for giving up a bad habit which is great for them, their families, and their friends even if they don’t realize it.

Been there. Sometimes incentives like this work when nothing else will.