SINGAPORE - Smoking employees can spend up to 40 min on smoke breaks during the typical working day.

They also remain indifferent to how this may affect their work productivity.

According to a report by Jobstreet.com, smokers take an average of one to four smoke breaks per day, each lasting five to 10 minutes.

Forty-four per cent of respondents polled in the survey said smoking is an individual's lifestyle choice when asked whether smokers should be allowed to smoke during working hours.

However, the remaining respondents said smoking should be disallowed during working hours as non-smokers should be protected from the effects of second-hand smoke and that productivity can be compromised waiting for smokers to get back to work.

Others said working hours should be fairly distributed.

Fifty-six per cent of the respondents said that they are contented with the current non-smoking areas in public areas and expressed no need for expansion.

Most of the respondents said that they will politely request for colleagues lighting up at non-smoking zones to move elsewhere for their smoking activities.

Thirty per cent said they will avoid smokers by moving away.

The top concern amongst non-smokers was the harmful effects of inhaling second-hand smoke

They were also concerned about the lingering smell that trail smokers after their puff.

About 2,300 respondents participated in this survey conducted in July 2012. 19 per cent of them indicated that they are smokers.

The report also said that while employees in general do not consider smoking a hindrance to productivity, employers are likely to be affected by increased absenteeism and lower levels of concentration.

paullim@sph.com.sg