Staff smoking

[hatty]

Ive just found out 2 of my staff are smokers (which of course is fine if they want to...at home) - i work with them everyday in the week but dont work saturdays and they never smoke when im there but today someone - luckily a family member called me to say he had seen 2 of the girls smoking outside the salon!
My heart sank -not only does it look appaling imagine the poor facial clients straight after...
Does anyone else have this problem - why would you smoke just before performing intimate treatments on clients?
Handled all kinds over the years but never this....

 

[laurakate]

Is there a back entrance to the salon that only staff can use?

I'm not a smoker but I guess going through a whole work day without doing it is difficult. I don't think the fact that they smoke is the issue but more where they do it.

 

[bobbyrazz]

you can't stop them smoking, but you can say only on specific breaks, away from the building and not in their uniform. and politely ask them to use perfume when they come back in so they don't smell of it

 

[CHarvey]

Ive just found out 2 of my staff are smokers (which of course is fine if they want to...at home) - i work with them everyday in the week but dont work saturdays and they never smoke when im there but today someone - luckily a family member called me to say he had seen 2 of the girls smoking outside the salon!
My heart sank -not only does it look appaling imagine the poor facial clients straight after...
Does anyone else have this problem - why would you smoke just before performing intimate treatments on clients?
Handled all kinds over the years but never this....

The smell is disgusting, I used to smoke and am appalled I used to smell like that when our smoking staff come in from their break I have to leave to staff room and it puts me right off my food. Make a non smoking policy. Staff are free to smoke on designated breaks, which are no extra to what the non smokers have, and they must remove their uniform and be out of sight of salon x

 

[Petit Basque]

you can't stop them smoking, but you can say only on specific breaks, away from the building and not in their uniform. and politely ask them to use perfume when they come back in so they don't smell of it

I had quite a few smokers in my college group and believe me, a squirt of perfume will NOT cover anything!

Not only did their hands smell of nicotine, so did their hair, skin and even if they sucked a mint, it always came through on their breath. I used to dread having practice facials with one of the smokers after break-time as I'm a passionate non-smoker and can smell nicotine a mile off.

Don't envy you dealing with that one! At least make sure there is some pretty heavy-duty hand wash in the salon so at least their hands don't smell of smoke. Maybe you should also insist they wear a coat or something to protect their uniforms from cigarette smoke also.

Good luck!!!
PB
x

 

[Rinn]

Ive just found out 2 of my staff are smokers (which of course is fine if they want to...at home) - i work with them everyday in the week but dont work saturdays and they never smoke when im there but today someone - luckily a family member called me to say he had seen 2 of the girls smoking outside the salon!
My heart sank -not only does it look appaling imagine the poor facial clients straight after...
Does anyone else have this problem - why would you smoke just before performing intimate treatments on clients?
Handled all kinds over the years but never this....

I would be absolutely raging over this , not only the fact that they were smoking in front of the salon in uniform but more that they did it because you weren't there.
I would sit them both down and have it out with them and I don't know what you have in their contracts but I would consider having it added in and tell them if it happens again you would consider it as gross misconduct and issue them with a verbal warning.

 

[Wonda]

I'd have thought you can stop people smoking on the job .... i know a large UK car manufacturer used to give people breaks away from the lines but they were not allowed outside of the main gates & there was no & is still no smoking on site. So there are people out there that go 8 hours working without it.

I used to smoke & remember overhearing my college tutor saying to someone that she thought i gave the best facial & massage in class but because i smoked, she wouldnt have one herself because i skunk of smoke.
At the time this didnt stop me as i was a young girl who didnt give two hoots ... now its a different matter & i'd ask for someone else if i was having a treatment booked in with a girl who smoked.

 

[mm29]

I'm a smoker and agree with smoking right outside the salon is wrong however I'm sure your therapists have helped you out on occasions so can't you help them by letting them have a smoke when needed.
can you really dictate how they spend their break, if you didn't know they smoked you obviously haven't smelled it so therefor not effecting their work!

 

[CHarvey]

I'm a smoker and agree with smoking right outside the salon is wrong however I'm sure your therapists have helped you out on occasions so can't you help them by letting them have a smoke when needed.
can you really dictate how they spend their break, if you didn't know they smoked you obviously haven't smelled it so therefor not effecting their work!

A. They were seen smokin gong outside the salon
B. when I have 10min spare at work I am cleaning up etc but smokers are outside smoking. Is this really fair on non smoking staff?
Not wanting to sound aggressive but think this us a genuinely interesting "debate"

 

[JuZz'<3]

As a smoker I would be absolutely fuming if a manager told me I couldn't smoke at work.
On the other hand I do have more respect, I wouldn't do it right outside the salon I used to go to the park around the back. I would remove my tunic. I would always wash my hands, have a mint and spray some perfume on my return.

You cannot ban them from doing it, you can however limit this so they don't take the p*ss and go out every spare moment, they still have to help with the cleaning etc.

When I was in the salon I was allowed two a day also lunch.

So I'd start in the morning, and usually found I lasted till lunch so only needed the one quick break in the afternoon

All 4 of us in the salon smoked, none of us was allowed out at the same time either, which worked well!

Try setting some rules, if they can't stick it out then there not worth keeping on! Xx

 

[ChelseaNails]

Just wanted to say if I booked in for any treatment and my therapist smelt of smoke I would be straight out the door and probably not recommending them to my friends, smoke smell on people actually makes me gag.

If I have a client come in with smoky hands I do the treatment but I tell them not to smoke before they come to get their nails done next time, if they smell smoky again after that I dump them, I can't work if I want to constantly vom! Haha

No offence meant to any smokers here. It's really nothing against smokers themselves, just strong smells. x

 

[mm29]

A. They were seen smokin gong outside the salon
B. when I have 10min spare at work I am cleaning up etc but smokers are outside smoking. Is this really fair on non smoking staff?
Not wanting to sound aggressive but think this us a genuinely interesting "debate"

A I said outside salon is wrong
B. I said on break
Very interesting and opinions will be very strong, I see your point also,
I never have sat for a whole lunch break I have something to eat quickly in between clients.
I'm not in a salon just now (young family and hubby works away) but the years I was in the salon Iv never had a problem nipping out for a smoke!

 

[CHarvey]

A I said outside salon is wrong
B. I said on break
Very interesting and opinions will be very strong, I see your point also,
I never have sat for a whole lunch break I have something to eat quickly in between clients.
I'm not in a salon just now (young family and hubby works away) but the years I was in the salon Iv never had a problem nipping out for a smoke!

I eat my lunch whilst listening out for the salon phone or washing up, I don't get "breaks" why am I doing this whilst three people are round the corner having a fag? I don't "nip out" for a coffee, I stand at the desk with a coffee hidden from view..

 

[CHarvey]

I had quite a few smokers in my college group and believe me, a squirt of perfume will NOT cover anything!

Not only did their hands smell of nicotine, so did their hair, skin and even if they sucked a mint, it always came through on their breath. I used to dread having practice facials with one of the smokers after break-time as I'm a passionate non-smoker and can smell nicotine a mile off.

Don't envy you dealing with that one! At least make sure there is some pretty heavy-duty hand wash in the salon so at least their hands don't smell of smoke. Maybe you should also insist they wear a coat or something to protect their uniforms from cigarette smoke also.

Good luck!!!
PB
x

So whilst your nipping out for a quick fag in the afternoon is a non smoking collegue ignoring washing up, reception, cleaning, phones so they also get a "break"?

 

[mm29]

Different salons work differently, We had 2 receptionists, and assistants who cleaned, shampoo, rinse colour, make tea, so my boss was happy with us having a smoke, it didn't interfere with my work,

 

[mm29]

So whilst your nipping out for a quick fag in the afternoon is a non smoking collegue ignoring washing up, reception, cleaning, phones so they also get a "break"?

Doesn't take an hour to smoke, 3 mins job done,

 

[mm29]

I eat my lunch whilst listening out for the salon phone or washing up, I don't get "breaks" why am I doing this whilst three people are round the corner having a fag? I don't "nip out" for a coffee, I stand at the desk with a coffee hidden from view..

Maybe you should take your breaks and nip out for coffee if you feel so strongly about your colleagues having a smoke,

 

[CHarvey]

Doesn't take an hour to smoke, 3 mins job done,

Not if you have to walk far away from the salon and back, wash your hands, put your tunic back on, get a mint from your bag..good 10 mins

 

[JuZz'<3]

Smoker or non smoker I feel everyone makes their own choices.

A smoker will take a quick break because a craving has kicked in and they need their nicotine fix.

A non smoker could still take a quick break can't they? Yes. A majority just choose not too. If you didn't smoke an fancied a bar of choccy would you not take a quick break to nip to the shop?

In all fairness I feel in a salon everyone should muck in, whether its sorting towels or cleaning stock shelves. I also feel like of there's a free period where the salons not busy every one is entitled to a quick break of fresh air!

 

[CHarvey]

As a former smoker I know that when I smoked if I had ten mins spare and there was a pile of towels needed folding I would chose a fag over folding towels. Now that I'm a non smoker I am less obsessed with my next hit and more vigilant as to what's going on around the salon and putting others needs before my ow ie asking "oh our apprentice is busy so would you like mme to shampoo since you are behind".. The smokers in the salon NEVER as if anyone needs help before nipping out.
If I owned a salon then there would be a strict no smoking policy accept on lunch breaks, so no nipping out