Does your employer have the right to ask you not to smoke?

Does your employer have the right to ask you not to smoke while on your coffee break? What's your opinion?

Depends on what you do, I suppose... Maybe if you're the only one in the office who does... Or if you work with the public... I don't want someone reeking of cigarette smoke serving my food! Or handling my clothing purchases... etc...

Grr I want to say no!

of course my employer kinda does have a policy that we can't smoke on property. I think its insane, and I dont even smoke. If you want a cig, you have to go off property, which in most cases takes longer than the 15 minute break we do get.

And by on property, I mean even siting in my own car parked in their parking lot, not in the building.

I'm ok with restricting it from being done inside and within 20-30 feet of doorways, as there are people that are allergic and with asthma. But after that outside should be fair game, as long as it remains a legal substance.

They have the right to tell you that you can't smoke on their property. And there are some places that do exactly that. People can smoke, but they have to go off the company's property to do so. For some, it's too much hassle and they choose not to smoke on their breaks at all.

I agree with Jorie that it depends on what you do. If you're working in the medical field, you never know when you may encounter someone with allergies or asthma that can be triggered by the lingering smoke smell. A friend of mine works for a doctor's office that prohibits employees from coming to work wearing perfume, scented lotions, or smelling like smoke. Any of those is a reason, listed in their employee handbook, that a person can be sent home without pay. Like it or not, they've made that decision in the interest of their patients.

Wow, that is a very good point. It never crossed my mind about the medical field and perfume etc....

Yes, they do.

I just had a meeting with my new boss.
We did it outside of the entrance of the building while pretty much chain smoking.

We don't smoke inside because there are propane tanks in there.

Well, in the first place, in my case, I always make sure what the law in the office is first.

Although I personally do not smoke, I better make sure if I could do the things I have been accustomed to.

propane tanks and smoking probably would not be a good idea. ha,ha,ha. I'm not a smoker but smoking is not encourage because smoke goes everywhere. We have studied other people website and read customer reviews where they claim that they received what they purchased but it smelled like smoke. Woooo, now that can't be a good thing. So, there is no smoking here..