Ban on Smoking Breaks for Employees to Be Imposed at Nottinghamshire County, UK

A move has been made by a local authority in the United Kingdom to ban smoking breaks for their employees.Under the new health proposals, Nottinghamshire County Council wants to ban smoking breaks for its 9,000 employees. Even e-cigarettes has been banned by the council.

The local authority said, “The ban to include all council buildings, land and vehicles, was aimed at boosting its workers’ health.”

The council’s deputy director of public health John Tomlinson said, “We are trying to be a supportive employer and have a duty of care to protect the health of our employees as part of a wider remit to take a leading role in promoting better health in Nottinghamshire.”

But the largest public sector union Unison said, “The stringent rules would be unenforceable and urged the council to support smokers in quitting rather than haul wayward employees into disciplinary meetings.”

Under the new rules smoking would reportedly be allowed during lunch breaks but not in uniform or anywhere near council property. The Unions will discuss the proposals with the council and the ban is expected to come into force early next year.

Source-Medindia