Company Gives Extra Vacation Days To Employees Who Don’t Smoke

Mar 26, 2018

“Why is it okay for smokers to take more breaks than those who don’t smoke?” is a common complaint among offices across the world. It has become a social norm for employees to take breaks almost every hour to light up a cigarette while the rest of their non-smoking colleagues stay inside and work.

This is frustrating to those who are essentially not allowed that extra time, and many are starting to speak out against the unfairness of the situation. But what is the right solution? One office in Japan seems to have figured it out.
 

Piala Inc., a marketing firm in Tokyo, Japan, is making headlines with its new policy concerning break time for smokers. A concerned employee expressed their frustration on behalf of the non-smokers in the office about the decline in productivity when smokers take a break.

Chief executive officer Takao Asuka took this anonymous employee’s comment into serious consideration and came up with a plan that refrains from penalizing smokers, but instead rewards the ones who don’t.
 

Employees who don’t smoke will receive an extra six days of vacation per year, which Asuka decided on to inspire other employees to kick their habit.
 

Since its implementation, 42 employees stopped smoking so they could be a part of this new perk. One man even stopped smoking a pack a day so he would have more days to play tennis.

This solution not only improves the morale of the company, but there is now less smoke odor in the office, people are taking care of their health, and productivity has greatly improved.

Does this sound like a solution you would support in your own work environment? Why or why not? We would love to know your thoughts! Go ahead and pass this article to your friends and family on Facebook to get a discussion started :)