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Smokers perform worse at work
[Posted: Thu 29/03/2007 www.irishhealth.com]
Smokers perform worse at work than non-smokers, according to a new US study.
A study of 5,500 women entering the US Navy over a period of 12 months found that smokers were also more likely to have a less than honourable discharge from the service, to be demoted, to desert and to earn less than their non-smoking colleagues.
The authors of the study said historically, the prevalence of smoking among US military personnel has been higher than among civilians.
Forty-five per cent of the women entering the Navy in the period in question had never smoked; twenty-seven per cent of the women surveyed were daily smokers when they enlisted and the remainder were ex-smokers or smoked occasionally.
Compared with non-smokers were significantly more likely to leave before they had served their full term.
It was found that regular smokers were significantly more likely than non-smokers to be discharged for medical reasons, bad behaviour, misconduct, including drug misuse, and personality disorders.
On average, the non-smokers were paid significantly more than daily smokers, even after taking account of educational attainment and time in service.
The study, by researchers at San Diego State University, was published in the journal Tobacco Control.
Olive(Olivebird) Posted:
29/03/2007 10:52 |
| I have always found, where I have worked, the opposite. Non smokers to be lazy workers |
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JamesH Posted:
29/03/2007 11:26 |
| Olive, as a supervisor and manager for the last twenty years, I have found smokers and non-smokers pretty equal most of the time, expect for two important times. Smokers tend to be more unhealthy and prone to more sick leave. (This is inevitable given the nature of smoking). Secondly during times of high pressure and stress, non-smokers tend to be more reliable and able to cope better. The smokers tend to need more cigerettes during times of stress and pressure, which adds to the pressure for the rest of the team as the smoker is often missing at key times getting their hit, while the non-smoker is waiting for them to come back and play their part. When the chips are down, if there were two workers of equal ability normally, give me the non-smoker during times of stress everytime. |
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Ann Posted:
05/04/2007 21:36 |
| I have found the opposite JamesH. I work with smokers and non smokers. The smokers will take a short break for their ciggie but the non smoker will demand an hour for their lunch. At the end of the day the smoker has done more work than the non smoker. I have never seen any difference in sick time between smokers and non smokers. That is all in your head Olive. |
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K Posted:
12/04/2007 15:54 |
| Smokers should not be allowed work in the same office as non-smokers...they stink ! and ladies, no amount of perfume or chewing gum can cover up the fact ! |
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Mary Posted:
13/04/2007 10:08 |
| Smokers need more breaks - cigarette breaks. 4 + of these duringthe working day of 5 - 10 minutes duration do add up. But then perhaps smokers are more productive when they return but may be more easily irritable. Of course a smoker by their very habit will be more prone to illnes and therefore need sick time. This is medical fact. Of course, so also, will type A personalities |
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Shelly Posted:
13/04/2007 14:23 |
| I am a smoker and work 9-4.30 I have one cig in work and thats on my lunch break and it does under no circumstances affect the way I work and K I work with a fella that stinks of BO does that mean he shouldn't be able to work in my office I don't think so get a life. |
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Mary Posted:
13/04/2007 15:13 |
| Shelly, point taken altho not all workers ar as conscientous as you regarding breaks. Re: the guy with BO, you really should see your manager and/or HR |
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Ken(LLQ23390) Posted:
13/04/2007 15:20 |
| Typical agressive response from a smoker, Shelly. You should try some anger management course or giving up the cigarettes and you will discover it is possible to be a kind person. Oh, and I do have a life...a much healthier one and will be longer than yours as I am not addicted to cigarettes. Good Lucj finding inner peace ! |
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dyslexia Posted:
16/04/2007 22:55 |
| As a single smoker who can commute to work without the stress of traffic jams or child minding worries. I believe I can operate better than say a married non-smoker who has traffic and child minding worries. Having said that, it depends in which sector one works - think about that. The goverment should ban the sale of cigarettes - its a no brainer really! |
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Anonymous
Posted:
17/04/2007 10:15 |
| The difference being that the traffic is not something I can change nor are children. The comparison is about as useful as saying that a married person would somehow be better at coping than a single person because they are in a supportive relationship and therefore calmer but a single person with children would be cope less effectively. Banning cigarettes would provide a great boom for the black market. |
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Lemmy Posted:
17/04/2007 11:13 |
| I quit smoking on Jan 1st this year and am still off them, in the office I work in I'm 6 floors up, for me to go for a smoke I would be away from my desk for at least 10 minutes, I always had a smoke around 9 (start at 8:30), and one each hour until 4:45, not counting the smoke at 12 or 1 as that's lunch, I was away from my desk 6 times a day, meaning I lost an hour a day. so yeah, my productivity has increased since quiting as I'm no longer missing for an hour. as for comparing a single smoker with no kids and no traffic to sit in with a non smoker with kids and traffic, that's just plain stupid, you can only compare with a non smoker with no kids or traffic |
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dyslexia Posted:
17/04/2007 17:40 |
| with price of cigarettes, the boom in the black market could have started already. Lemmy I cannot argue with you. For starters there isn't a six story building in at least 50 miles of where I live. I'm happy for you that you managed to quit - six floors up busting for a smoke, agonny. But what I can say is: it is not plain stupid to make that comparison. Remember there are a lot of heavy smokers, single, who can sit at home doing their work in the evenings after a lesureily strole home. If I am the manager I will look at the productivity regardless of where the work is done. The work of a sweet scmeling non smoking employee compared to that of a foul scmelling smoker - its the bottom line that counts. Having said all that. The arguement against smoking is stronger. I would prefere not to smoke and one day I will give them up. Anonymous, maybe your one of the lucky ones who has a supportive relationship. There are plenty of people who do not; commutting, child minding, mortgages - think of the poor children, are they the next generation of smokers. |
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Anonymous
Posted:
18/04/2007 10:43 |
| Anyone who is married and not in a supportive relationship - do seek help. Smoking in that case, is only one of your problems. Why would commutting, child minding, mortgages cuase childrne t becoem the next generation to smoke? Peer pressure and false information are most likely to cause the first couple of cigarettes after that, it's an addiction. |
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Shelly Posted:
18/04/2007 12:49 |
| Ken I'd expect a comment like that from somebody like yourself I don't know where I come accross as being aggressive and need anger management, annoyed probably at the silly little comments similar to your own you don't know me but yet you've put a label on me and everyone else that smokes just because you don't like it . Just because a person smokes doesn't mean their attitude to life is any less or their ability to work is any less maybe you should take a look back at the ignorance of yourself there Ken and yes smokers know the dangers it does to your health but its an addiction and people like you certainly would'nt understand so before you go judging other people take a step back and have a good look at yourself. I can't understand how people can judge other people simply because they smoke it just shows the ignorance of some people. In fact i would love to give them up i just don't have the willpower at the moment and fair play to anybody that has given them up because it is a horrible habit to have. |
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Anonymous
Posted:
18/04/2007 12:57 |
| think the "get a life" comment kid of did it Shelly and to be fair your last post was pretty judemental in and of itself |
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Lennie Posted:
18/04/2007 21:17 |
| No one has the right to judge anyone else's bad habits especially non smokers who have not got the slightest clue of just what exactly it means to be addicted to nicotine. It is a horrible drug and believe me anyone that does smoke wants to stop badly, we are not immune to the changes we see in our health, our looks and our smoky smell. We just can't quit, it is extremely difficult and check out what chemicals the tobacco companies are using to keep us more addicted. I have personally witnessed the effects of smoking having seen people losing lungs, and limbs too! Now there are other addictions out thee like heroin, cocaine and alcohol to give some examples. These people get all the help they need from groups and treatment centers, smokers get a once a week session in a hospital, usually at lunchtime and not at all suitable for workers either. I lost half my right lung to cancer (pregnancy related) and have had first hand experience of what my future is going to be like but I still can't quit for long, it's so difficult and I wish that I had never started in the first place but all I can do is keep trying like mad to rid myself of this awful thing. And also for the record I work extremely hard in a job that I fought like crazy for and my boss never has a problem with my smoking, if anything he is always telling me to slow down and makes sure I have regular breaks like the rest of his staff. What I do on them is my own business and in my experience the biggest problem in the working world today is workers who spend more time gossiping and surfing the net aimlessly rather than the smoker cadging a quick puff out back. |
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Margarett Posted:
19/04/2007 12:15 |
| In my place of work, a regulation was introduced that banned smoking ANYWHERE on the premises. This means that smokers have 10 minute walk to the gate for a cigarette and a 10 minute walk back, along with the 2 or 3 minutes to have the cigarette itself. It's drastically reduced the amount of smoke breaks people take. |
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