“Averaged about an extra 45 minutes a day.”
MORE like 60 minutes.
Understand that these same smokers make no effort to make up the time by arriving early, staying late, cutting a lunch break, etc.
I have watched a smoking area out my window for years. The net result is smokers are at their desks less minutes than non-smokers.
Don’t get me started on Facebook and other social media abuses during “work” hours.
HOW all of these “breaks” impact true productivity is the real open question.
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)..