Makes for thick air

Smokers work almost three weeks less per year

Whether on construction sites or in the office - smoking can cause a row among colleagues if break times get out of hand.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

A recent survey shows that smokers work around 2.5 weeks less per year than their nicotine-abstinent colleagues. The reason: short cigarette breaks add up to 25 minutes a day, or around two hours a week. A smoker who regularly indulges in his vice thus works around 92 hours less per year - depending on vacation consumption and public holidays.

According to a recent YouGov study, smokers spend more than two hours a week on smoking breaks - that's 92 hours a year. This corresponds to more than two weeks of additional free time, if regular vacation days and public holidays are taken into account.

Cigarette breaks are not recorded
By law, employees who work more than six hours a day are entitled to a 30-minute break. However, the study shows that cigarette breaks are usually not officially recorded. Smokers also do not reduce their lunch break to compensate for the loss of time.

Effects on the working atmosphere
Most smokers assume that their regular breaks are tolerated by their colleagues and do not report any resentment. Only one in five report negative reactions. 

Employers, on the other hand, decide whether to tolerate these additional breaks or to deduct them as working time - or to allow smokers to smoke on company premises at all ...