Doesn't it annoy u when ppl have so many fag and tea breaks at work, I dont smoke or drink. I worked out that ppl generally go about 4 times a day for a fag or drink for at least 5 minutes a time.

This is 1 hour 40 a week spent doing nothing

Which is 6 hours a month

which is 72 hours a year/9.5 days off a year.


I am missing out...better start smoking and drinking Tea/Coffee....

hmmm, what about browsing and posting on Fiso, that must take up several weeks a year

I get paid to post on FISO and smoke whenever I choose, the freedom of having a boss at a different airport to yourself

Any vacancies?

Only if they boot me I'll let you know if that happens.

haha, I posted this thread when 4 bumboys at work went down to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, as they decided to have a break I decided to have one too. A very very very rare break.

Maybe we can include girls that need to take a piss 17 times a day?

....and people that seem to be working, but achieve very little.

In the words of the bard "you don't drink, don't smoke, what do you do?" sod all to be honest.

I think the biggest timewaster in this day and age is t'internet.


(and girls pissing 17 times a day)

in pairs!?

Adam Ant

I understand that if you work on a computer you are entitled to breaks so there is nothing wrong with these fag and tea breaks.....but the reasoning behind these breaks has nothing to do with health and safety. Oh I will have a break to protect my eyes and go outside and have a fag and screw up my lungs instead.

Half the office do not take any breaks whatsoever, It is recommended that you take a 5-10 minute break every hour, if everyone did this the office would get even further behind than it already is and I don't think management would be happy but there is nothing they could do about it as these are the health and safety regulations.

If I started going off for 5-10 minute breaks every hour the management or a colleague would end up saying something.

I am expected to get work done in a certain time frame and adding those entitled breaks in I simply would not get things done on time....so you can see that workplaces do not factor entitled breaks into project deadlines. Nor do they encourage you to have breaks, which is obvious why.

If Health and Safety Laws are recommending we take 5-10 minute breaks every hour then:

Lets say we have a 10 minute break every hour of every working day throughout a year:

= 300 hours worth of breaks a year this is (2 months)

If management ever questioned me being late or working 'too slow' I would point this fact out!!!! I am working 2 months a year more than I have too!!!!!!!!!

In my office at least we blokes take far longer on our daily session. We've got more books in trap 2 than some inner city libraries. Personally I tend to get through 2 games of crib on my phone so I can't talk but I'm not a smoker.

Footy, I'm not sure it's in any H&S manual to take 5-10 mins every hour.

Isn't the recommendation merely to give your eyes a break, ie looking away (which if you end up writing or messing with paper work or whatever; then you get that break as a natural occurrence.

That said, I agree that smokers do tend to have a little skive. Especially when a fair few tend to come back then go off to make a brew

We have a smoking area, which for people must mean a 15 min round trip (including the fag). On the plus side, they'll die slow and painful death, so its swings and roundabouts.

Smokers also know all the gossip

Agree wIth Zimm but no smokers these days where I work - you do see them in little huddles outside various office blocks though, like an endangered species. I'm a teaholic - at least one cup an hour but I don't make them all.

I hope you log the milk on MPF, Mr Nosey

I..I..er...haven't got round to it yet

Who says people on fag breaks are not working? It depends on the job of course, but many office jobs involve thinking. When I used to smoke, if I was grappling with a thorny issue, a quick 5 min fag break often resulted in the solution coming to me in a fog of nicotiney inspiration! On a fair few occasions I had clients who smoked, and I sometimes got quicker decisions and input in the smoking pit than if we had scheduled a meeting.

I am a team leader and our staff have 30 minutes every day break time to ensure that they get 5 minutes per hour worked.

Everyone has this break in their rotas and are actually targeted on taking it.

We need to introduce this into our workplace........

Its just there is nothing to do for 5 minutes when you don't drink Tea/Coffee or smoke. I would just go on the internet...but that doesn't work cos the whole point in the break is to not be on your computer.

any hot female colleagues? a wee walk past their desk every hour or so will brighten your day.

50% of relationships start at the work place.

30% to 50% of female employees still experience some form of sexual harassment (EU report)

So be careful, if you're in Europe anyway.

NOTE, the report was 1998. Have no idea whether European male are more or less perverted nowadays.

Nah, just go for the 50-70% who don't consider it harassment

I have banged 4 receptionists at various work places and have no cases pending . god bless heavy drinking - enabling ugly men to have sex since 1884

You know em girls that get extra drunk from drinking from straws

Is that why your name is Moist Von Lipwig?

You like a moist receptionist and a moist beverage?