Scrap employee fag-breaks in favour of bike-time.

I suggest that employers be encouraged to promote cycling, with time allotted at the start of the day for showering/changing, and consideration given to bike storage. The proposal could be funded by the gradual abolition of the informal smoking-break, an anachronistic convention which not only swallows significant chunks of the smoker's working day, but also prompts resentment and negative retaliatory activity (e.g. kettle-hovering, internet-skiving) in the non-smoker.

Why the contribution is important

By any respectable template, whether medical, psychological or financial, smoking is demonstrated to be bad, whereas cycling is manifestly good; it therefore seems sensible to consider whether the current balance of these two contrasting activities, with smoking being rather more popular at present, could be addressed for the benefit of all, using the workplace as an appropriate laboratory. The proposal to phase-out fag-breaks in favour of cycling-time has no chance of getting off the ground, incidentally, unless the principle is viewed as more significant than the implicit mass of financial/logistical detail.

by user166992 on January 02, 2014 at 06:56PM

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Comments

  • Posted by user255888 January 03, 2014 at 12:50

    that's a terrible idea. You can't enforce cycling or stopping smoking. Many employees already do cycle and there is a loan scheme to help people to purchase bikes. In fact the reduction in the cycle mileage rate has been reduced and as a result some people have stopped cycling. Also, as a smoker I take a v short lunch (10 mins if that sometimes) which more than makes up for my cig breaks.

  • Posted by user261867 January 03, 2014 at 21:39

    As a non-smoking cyclist, I think this is a poor idea and un-implementable!

  • Posted by user162427 January 06, 2014 at 22:49

    Abolishment of smoking!!! Get a grip on reality, what ever next

  • Posted by user251846 January 07, 2014 at 12:43

    I'd rather abolish cycling!

  • Posted by user166992 January 07, 2014 at 13:47

    Who said anything about the abolition of smoking, or the "enforcement" of cycling? I'm not against smoking, but am opposed to the culture of unstructured, casual smoking breaks.
    Yes, I'm a bike-nut, but am advocating incentivising (rather than forcing) businesses to practise healthy cycling/smoking policies.

    "Un-implementable" - that's what they said about dismantling apartheid.

    As for "abolishing cycling" - there's no talking to some people...

  • Posted by user835971 January 20, 2014 at 13:23

    We all travel to work and do it in our own time - why the exception for cyclists?

    Also, where's your evidence that smokers are responsible for causing non-smokers to take to "kettle-hovering, internet skiving"??

  • Posted by user166992 January 23, 2014 at 12:10

    Because cycling rocks, and is beneficial to the individual, the economy, the environment, the city, you-name-it.

    Evidence? Well, let's see if we can't proffer some primary evidence.....if several of my colleagues are out smoking in the garden, why shouldn't I fart around on this forum?
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