[SheLion]

I couldnt help but notice there was nothing in the original story about what time these folks arrived at and departed from work - you are left to wonder is it possible that with these longer smoking breaks in the final days of summer like weather if these people put in a full days work despite the extended breaks during the nice daylight hours. If so I hope he (and mostly likely the others - soon enough) get themselves good lawyers and sue the hell out of Mikie.

[SheLion]

Before smoking was banned in private offices, there was no reason to take a smoke break.
Before smoking was banned in private offices, I'm sure Mr. Swinton would have been considered an excellent employee. Now he's a bad one.

The employees didn't create this problem. The rule-makers did. It's the same endless problem everywhere: create a rule/rule causes problems/create new rules to fix the problems/new rules cause problems/create even more rules/etc.

Nobody at the top ever stops to consider that it was the initial ban that was the bad idea in the first place.

[Brytani]

I am a God awful smoker and yes, I do smoke outside at work. What I do is simple, I rarely if ever take lunch, instead I eat at my desk while working. This hour I'm giving back to my job that is technically mine, makes up for the time I'm outside smoking.

I know many smokers who do this so that their company can not come back and say they are taking more breaks then are allowed. Others, work more then 40 hours every week to make up for it.

Of course, this wouldn't even be a concern if the anti-smoking nuts would allow companies to designate a smoking room inside a building or allow smoking at a persons desk and install filtering equipment.