Posted By Eric Burt Paul Whilst it is true that smokers don't really have any rights at work (as smokers), the issue of smoking cannot be tackled in isolation. It is rather optomistic to think that by introducing a NO-SMOKING policy, employees will give up smoking, therefore issues of stress at work and covert smoking will have to be considered. Consider staff working in a particularly stressful job such as Social Worker - are we seriously going to tell them that they must go for hours without a cigarette, particularly after a stressful incident? Also, it is far better to control smoking by the use of smoking rooms etc than have employees smoking in store-rooms, toilets etc. It also looks poor when you see smokers huddled in a doorway at the entrance to a building. There is some case law from an Employment Tribunal where an employee tried to claim that she had been constuctively dismissed when her employer introduced a no-smoking policy, but it was rejected by the ET. Incidentally, I am a non-smoker... Eric

Posted By Laurie Not entirely relevant to the case described here, but there was a case some time back where an employee was smoking in his own car, in his own time, but in a company car park. The company had a no smoking policy. He was dismissed, took action for unfair dismissal, and lost Laurie

Posted By Paul Adams I am a smoker, my employer has a policy of no smoking within the building which I fully support - An outside smoking area is provided. If smoking on the premises were not permitted, then I would leave the premises during my break/lunch hour to smoke. If this was unacceptable to my employer, I would be inclined to take my talents and my addiction elsewhere. I think that for an employer to tell you that you can't smoke in your own car because you are working i.e. travelling between sites, is draconian and also unenforcable. As always, LA's are at the forefront of political correctness.