Curious about vaping at work (Wal-Mart)

[faeriekari]

My fiance and I work at Wal-Mart. We were the first vapers there and now have turned at least 10 other people on to it. Currently, we still sit outside in the smoking area to vape. I asked the store manager if it would be ok to go inside with it. He said he wasn't informed about ecigs and asked if I could get him some information. I printed out some info I found on the net, including an article from a local paper where the State Attorney General had stated that ecigs do not fall under the smoking ban since they do not contain tobacco, have combustion or produce smoke. When I gave him the info, the co-manager was with him and said he thought he had heard that Wal-Mart's stand on them was "no." Manager said he'd find out and get back to me. Two weeks and I have yet to hear back a yes or no from him. Our other new vape buddies are waiting this response too. So, before I go back to him, I'm trying to find out what other stores are doing. Does anyone else work at a retail store or more specifically a Wal-Mart and are allowed to vape in the breakroom?

 

[Krazirob]

im in the army and none of my superiors have anything wrong with me and my friends vaping inside buildings (which there is a no smoking ban in any government building).........if anything they are jealous cause they cant smoke inside with their nasty cigs!!.....LOL

 

[DaveP]

Large corporations have pretty strict views on things like smoking. My company banned smoking in all company facilities in the USA and later banned smoking in company vehicles. It wasn't because of resale value because they are all picked up by another company who sells them at large public auctions.

I retired earlier this year before I started vaping, so I don't know what their policy would be about vaping. I sneak smoked in my company minivan with the AC fan wide open and holding it close to a window rolled down an inch. I sprayed it down every day after work with Febreeze and no one ever noticed. We were allowed to bring our company vehicles home, so it was like my car at all times. I didn't have to leave it at the office where someone could inspect it and my manager lived three hours away. I was in a resident territory.

 

[SlimXero]

I stealth vaped at walmart when i worked there, but no i was never "allowed" to vape inside.

 

[faeriekari]

I guess I just don't get why. It's even been said that it doesn't fall under the smoking ban. And our old smoking room is just sitting there...hello, vapor room?

 

[kristin]

My Walmart doesn't allow it either. Smokers & vapers have to walk to their car - which is a good 3-5 minute walk from the time clock and a chunk of the 15 minute break spent walking to and from the car. But I actually sit right in the breakroom and stealth vape! I have a H16, so it doesn't look like an e-cig, but I keep it subtle and don't do it when a manager is in the room.

I have a letter to Walmart (mostly put together) on behalf of CASAA, but I haven't sent it yet. When we get it sent I'll post a copy here. It's a stupid rule, especially since it isn't illegal and the old smoking room is still there!

 

[faeriekari]

Oooh keep me posted on that, kristin! Our manager hasn't said yes or no yet but i'm thinking it's going to be no and winter is fast approaching!

 

[andygee]

Geez, no wonder walmart is perceived as a screwed up company. Aren't they in business to sell junk from China? And isn't the best junk from China e-cig stuff? Pass these suckers out to everyone in the company and then put this stuff on the shelves! What the heck happened to capitalism, anyway?
As for me, I never ask permission to do anything that isn't obviously wrong, and nobody argued with me after the fact on e-cigs.

 

[gingersnaps]

I used to work for walmart and they fallow their own rules. they could care less about what the law is and what your rights are. that being said I can understand if they don't want employees who are out with customers to vape bc it would be an ongoing pile of complaints from customers.

I do think they should have no problem vaping in break rooms and stock room since there aren't custs around there. If I still worked there I would for sure stealth vape.

 

[StarsAndBars]

Bureaucracy, I think you'll find that word applies to the prospect of vaping pretty much anywhere smoking isn't allowed.

 

[Slickstick]

Faeriekari I vape inside wal-mart all the time. Here in Virginia there are employees that vape inside the store. Specifically, the Mechanicsville store to be sure. I suppose it depends on the intelligence of the Managers.
Hope this helps!

 

[DemonCowboy]

i used to work for that mickey-mouse outfit too and if i vaped then and they tried to tell me no i'd still do it in the back openly and earn my DNR all over again (then again i was d-day'd because a new manager came in who was psyched about that stupid cheer, and i told him that real work needed done)

 

[jude8753]

I see the Walmart employees smoking outside the doors all the time where we live or did. Now that I think about it last time we were there they had removed all cig container thingys, but I vape inside and so far no one has said anything, but I really don't make it obvious in your face. My partner is always afraid I'm gonna get us kicked out of somewhere, he hates confrontation.

 

[hairball]

My fiance and I work at Wal-Mart. We were the first vapers there and now have turned at least 10 other people on to it. Currently, we still sit outside in the smoking area to vape. I asked the store manager if it would be ok to go inside with it. He said he wasn't informed about ecigs and asked if I could get him some information. I printed out some info I found on the net, including an article from a local paper where the State Attorney General had stated that ecigs do not fall under the smoking ban since they do not contain tobacco, have combustion or produce smoke. When I gave him the info, the co-manager was with him and said he thought he had heard that Wal-Mart's stand on them was "no." Manager said he'd find out and get back to me. Two weeks and I have yet to hear back a yes or no from him. Our other new vape buddies are waiting this response too. So, before I go back to him, I'm trying to find out what other stores are doing. Does anyone else work at a retail store or more specifically a Wal-Mart and are allowed to vape in the breakroom?

I smoke in walmart all the time. I was told to put out my cig and asked the lady what she was talking about. She replied that she saw smoke come out my mouth. I laughed and pulled out my "cig". I told her that that was what she saw and demonstrated. She couldn't believe that it imitated actually smoking. What a hoot! She asked where she could get her husband one. I gave her several websites and which ones to look at. She saw me about a week later and informed me that she converted her husband. Alright! She also said that many walmart employees were looking to purchase them and that smoking in the store was going to be a must. I haven't seen her since that day to ask if they got the "ban" overturned so I'm uncertain there. However, I still do it in the store. I get some really strange looks but I don't care. If asked, I explain what I'm doing. They don't like it, I can always shop somewhere else.

 

[Valsacar]

Same here, contractor on an Army base and they have no problems with it at all. Boss actually said, "If there's no smoke then you could do that inside." They love the extra productivity from not taking smoke breaks.

 

[plantlvr]

I work at Lowes and they have a very strict no smoking policy on their property. I was very open about my vaping and was very happy when I told my friends and managers at work when I hit the one year mark without a cig.A couple of co-workers now vape, and I vape in the breakroom and stealth vape on the floor too. So far no problems.

 

[otrpu]

I vape in Wal*Mart, King Soopers, any other store I go to. And just a couple days ago, The Denver Mint. Pretty much everywhere I go. I'm not an "In Your Face" obnoxious type vaper. I carry it in my left pants pocket, pull it out, take a couple draws, and stick it back in my pants pocket. Most the time I use an RIVa w/C-E2 XL carto, as my on the go PV. I can't vape at my desk at work. In fact, they won't even let me charge a batt using USB on company computers. Where I work, I'm a movie star, on camera everywhere cept the potty. And how much fun is that, hanging out in a restroom? I don't know if they'll ever allow dripping and fiddling around with these things in the workplace or not. But, the man years labor that could be reclaimed are awesome.

Cheers,
otrpu

 

[Algernon]

Personally I feel worse about the fact that you work for that conglomerate .....-fest than whether you can vape there or not.
They might tell you yes just to fart in your face later.

 

[WomanOfHeart]

When I'm alone in the office for the first part of the morning, I'll vape openly. Once people start coming, I'll either stealth vape, go in the bathroom or outside. The people who share the office space with me know that I vape and they support it. They don't care if I vape at my desk. We're more concerned about what other people might think. I've stealth vaped at Wal-Mart, King Soopers, and a couple of sit-down restaurants.

 

[Biomom]

Faeriekari I vape inside wal-mart all the time. Here in Virginia there are employees that vape inside the store. Specifically, the Mechanicsville store to be sure. I suppose it depends on the intelligence of the Managers.
Hope this helps!

Go VIRGINIA! It's for lovers AND vapers

I've vaped openly in our Virginia Wal-mart while shopping. Our state passed a law that vaping does not violate the no-smoking ban, and I wonder if one day someone will file a law suit about civil rights violation.

If people were only more educated. Once there's more BIG money to be realized off the product and taxes get involved, I'm sure we'll see more studies. To me, protesting vaping is like telling people they cannot breathe through their mouth because it produces more water vapor. Then again, the govt has determined CO2 is a pollutant; for heaven sake STOP BREATHING PEOPLE! {sarcasm}

That being said, any employer or business has the right to ask you to avoid any behavior not in line with direct working or shopping.

Simple solution, just vape in the bathroom. Done it in many restaurants, no one notices or has dared complain so far. Doesn't even require that much stealth; if you don't blow directly toward the ceiling the vapor dissapates quickly.