I am not bashing UP, but I read this in the Omaha paper!
Nearly split a stitch!
Union Pacific Corporation bans employees from smoking OUTSIDE it’s new downtown headquarters.
So employees cross the street and light up on property belonging to Qwest and a city library.
A call was made and “UP was wonderful; they got right on it”!!!
Their solution?
The company installed ashtrays on the library side of the street and UP employees empty the ashtrays!
Just struck me funny that they couldn’t figure out a room or a place for THEIR employees to smoke, either inside or outside. Did they not think this would be a problem?
Well, silly me, guess it isn’t a problem for them anymore. Now it is the library’s problem!
Is that constitutional? If it is than the unions should fight for their right to be able to at least smoke outside. I could see if they were near chemicals or explosives but not an office building with a lot of stress. Would they rather folks come to work drunk?
In the words of the railroads " we have the right to say who can and can not smoke on this property it belongs to us not the employees or the unions. and since we cant let some smoke and others not because of discrimination, we wont allow any smoking at all. and you are lucky we give you a smoke break . now put them out and get back to work"
There’s been rumors of a big change coming in the UP policy concerning smoking. No one has said for sure, but expecting them to ban smoking on the property. The ban at the new HQ could be the beginning of this.
Or maybe they don’t want all the non-employe crowds that are flocking to the new cafeteria to have to walk past all the smokers.
Jeff
I don’t know for sure, but I’d think there would be a better solution than that! However, I understand that it is their right to decide what to do about problems.
I can’t understand government about smoking. If they were that gun-hoe on people stopping smoking than why is it still legalized? The answer is that they collect taxes from it so they don’t really want people to stop smoking. Smoking is like a drug addiction and if they really wanted them to stop they should put the smokers into rehab. If UP or any other employer wants their employees to stop smoking than they should pay for them to go on to the patch or something or press the government to fund a tabacco rehab program
CN banned smoking in all work areas on the RR including the Diesil house, car shop etc. I don’t know how the bossed can tell cigarette smoke from welding smoke or locomotive exhaust but apparently cigarette smoke is much more irritating… I’ll take my chances with getting caught and fired for smoking.
Randy
so i’m guessin railroads frown on smoking in the locomotive cab…so how often are the smoke breaks? haha. i can’t really see goin out back on the platform to lite up @70 mph.
Good luck trying not to spick ashes on yourself at that stage. Me personally I would light up cigarette while switching an oil refinery that way if my crew times out, I won’t have to call a taxi because the blast will already land me close to my home…That’s my idea of flying.[:D][:D]
I know - I have fur between my ears, but you missed the point completely. This wasn’t about smoking - the funny part was the way the UP handled the situation. Instead of either providing a well ventilated smoking room, or some kind of outside shed on the property, they installed ashtrays - ACROSS the street - right by the library, which I am pretty sure isn’t their property!
They want to look into sending these people to a mall a short distance from the building to smoke, but the city fathers are frowning.
My point is, you have smokers on staff. You know this is a fact. Why would you not provide them a suitable place either within the building or outside, instead of making them someone else’s problem! Do they make their employees go across the street to use the restroom?
And sending them to the mall in the middle of January in Omaha - well, there is an hour out of each day! Bundle up, put on boots, walk the block or so, have your break, reverse the whole thing - twice a day! But…it gets them onto someone else’s property, not yours! And they WILL supply the ashtrays as a convenience for the OTHER property owner!
We are going from the ridiculous to the stupid!
They are UP employees! UP - deal with it on your own property!
Mookie
I understand your point completely. We have the same problem where I work.The front door back door and some dock doors littered with butts because people dont clean up their own mess.Do the people who dont smoke get an extra ten min off because they dont go outside?probably not.[:(].If you smoke its your choice just please clean up after yourself.
stay safe
joe
and the latest absurdity is that UP doesn’t want any employees smoking on the public - got that - public - sidewalk in front of the building. Arrogance and absurdity are overruling the common sense again! They knew they had smokers in their employ…
Policy where I work is no smoking within 50 feet of a building entrance (or inside). In most cases (at least for higher occupancy buildings), “bus” shelters have been installed well away from the building entrances for the convenience of the smokers.
The only gripe I have about the smokers (and it’s really a management issue) is that rather than the usual 10-15 “coffee” minute break once in the morning and afternoon, they seem to be taking “short” breaks about once an hour. They may only smoke one cigarette, and I’m sure the “break” lasts only 5 or so, but you also have to factor in “travel time” (bathroom, stopping to chat with co-workers, etc), which means they are spending 10-15 minutes away from their desk each time…
Of course, the top guy in the building is a smoker…
Driver has same complaint - he works with a lot of smokers and of course, the university has banned smoking up to 10 feet away from building. But my point exactly - they ban the smoking, so the UP people will have to bundle up in sub-zero weather, put on boots, truck a block away, have their break then come back and reverse whole situation and where others have set 15-20 min breaks, they will spend at least 30 min or more - just because UP can’t see beyond their noses!