New Employeer Or How to Approach Existing Employeer

[Mohamed]

This is part due to http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/new-members-forum/507573-fired-vaping.html which I found in the new vapors forum...unreal...really no 1st time warning?

I'm going to be moving to a new company in February. I currently am allowed to vape at my desk...well I just do it and no one has ever said anything about it. I suppose with new company I should I should probably find out first so I don't lose my new job

I guess my question is how do you approach your employer about this? Do you generally hold off for a few weeks to get a feel for the people and the company at first. Do you just voop in batthroom stall during this period?

 

[Ken_A]

I don't. I have a fan at my desk, which is in a 5' tall cube. I don't stealth vape, but I descreetly vape and blow the vapor into the fan. I vape only light mint flavors so if anyone DOES smell anything, they can think I have mint gum, or mint candies... I keep mints at my desk too.

I work for a large company, and it's very likely that if you ask, the answer will be no.
If someone complanes, then I will just not do it anymore.

 

[StevenServo]

im lucky enough to be in a specialized field where i kind of just told my boss i was going to... knowing there would be no negative outcome hahaha... he was cool with it anyways "better than smelling an ashtray"

 

[StevenServo]

I don't. I have a fan at my desk, which is in a 5' tall cube. I don't stealth vape, but I descreetly vape and blow the vapor into the fan. I vape only light mint flavors so if anyone DOES smell anything, they can think I have mint gum, or mint candies... I keep mints at my desk too.

I work for a large company, and it's very likely that if you ask, the answer will be no.
If someone complanes, then I will just not do it anymore.

I work for a large company as well and i didn't have any troubles. We are also a small department though so that probably helps...

 

[TheReign]

If it was me going into a new company what I would do is just get a friendly convo going with your boss first. Then just bring it up to him when the time feels right. Do some research on the facts of vaping, pros an cons as well and just bring it up to him one day and have a chit chat. The worst he/she can say is no right?

 

[hazarada]

ask him if you can vape and date him in the same sentence. Assuming he's straight, when he says no, call him homophobic and start ranting about discrimination. When his confusion level hits the peak bring up the vaping again, at that point hes likely to let anything fly as long as he can get the hell out of there

 

[Slobalt7]

I worked in the pest control field so as long as I didn't do it in front of customers(unless they were smokers/vapers) my manager endorsed it though he was never a smoker. During our weekly meetings he didn't mind me vaping as long as I wasn't clouding up the office. Myself and several others were smokers and the way he looked at it if I was vaping, I could be inside making my calls and scheduling.

 

[Mikie]

I would bring up the question of smoke breaks first, and then mention you use an ecig, or vape if they seem to comprehend they are the "same". It will depend on if it has been used at that location before by ex smokers or not, and the hiring persons experience with vapers.

If all they know about it is the cloud chaser in a movie he was watching last week, or some guy sitting next to him in a restaurant doing something weird and disturbing his family, good luck . If it is like my current employer, many people have stopped taking smoke breaks and just vape here and there, so if it was brought up in an interview or first day of work, it would be ok. You can't be walking down the main area where everybody works puffing out your vapor, but we can vape anywhere else.

 

[Mohamed]

If it was me going into a new company what I would do is just get a friendly convo going with your boss first. Then just bring it up to him when the time feels right. Do some research on the facts of vaping, pros an cons as well and just bring it up to him one day and have a chit chat. The worst he/she can say is no right?

I've done enough research and feel comfortable explaining the pg/vg/nic/flavor safety to about anyone that would be willing to listen I'm just not sure it's appropriate to bring up with a new boss during the first few weeks. Heck I can remember when smoking was allowed in a office. Seems silly I'm now fearful of even bringing up an ecig. At my current employer I just did it and no one really ever said anything but that firing thread made me think twice about just doing it and not asking first. Of course I did stealthy and a few people knew but it was never an issue.

And yeah your right worst case is the say no...which is why I just did it without asking at my current job. But getting fired for it is an entirely new fear that makes me want to ask first before I do that. I always figured worst case is that it would look like I have a bladder control problem and just head to the bathroom stall once an hour and stealth vape there for a minute or two

 

[Mohamed]

ask him if you can vape and date him in the same sentence. Assuming he's straight, when he says no, call him homophobic and start ranting about discrimination. When his confusion level hits the peak bring up the vaping again, at that point hes likely to let anything fly as long as he can get the hell out of there

lol nice approach. Unless I really felt comfortable with new boss I don't think I would try this route. I'm not one to stir up a stink and start threatening about discrimination over this.

 

[Mohamed]

I worked in the pest control field so as long as I didn't do it in front of customers(unless they were smokers/vapers) my manager endorsed it though he was never a smoker. During our weekly meetings he didn't mind me vaping as long as I wasn't clouding up the office. Myself and several others were smokers and the way he looked at it if I was vaping, I could be inside making my calls and scheduling.

Yeah I definitely see the productivity side of things...every hour I'm not outside for 5 mins getting nothing done

 

[amoret]

I'd think that the first thing to do would be to go through the employee manual and see if it addresses the issue. If it does, then you pretty much have to follow the rules. If not, then you need to check with your boss.

 

[Nermal]

Kind of like asking about internet porn policies during the job interview, I would wait till I knew a few people and had a feel for the company.

 

[Mohamed]

I would bring up the question of smoke breaks first, and then mention you use an ecig, or vape if they seem to comprehend they are the "same". It will depend on if it has been used at that location before by ex smokers or not, and the hiring persons experience with vapers.

If all they know about it is the cloud chaser in a movie he was watching last week, or some guy sitting next to him in a restaurant doing something weird and disturbing his family, good luck . If it is like my current employer, many people have stopped taking smoke breaks and just vape here and there, so if it was brought up in an interview or first day of work, it would be ok. You can't be walking down the main area where everybody works puffing out your vapor, but we can vape anywhere else.

Again +1 for the productivity and smoke breaks comment.

In all honesty though smoking has become so stigmatized that I'm not even sure I'd want to bring up smoke breaks during the first 2 weeks. As stated before I can remember when smoking was allowed in the office but last 10 years or so it has become so stigmatized and looken down upon that I'm not sure I would even want to bring up the smoke break issue.

I can remember a few years ago about someone at my current job complaining that smokers get more breaks than anyone else and waste company time. I always viewed and tried to explain that was a way for me discuss current job problems / questions, or to rethink a particular problem. I'm a programmer so stepping away for a minute or two to rethink the issue at hand is sometime more productive that banging fingers on keboard for several hours straight. But I don't think people that look down on smokers get it that way. The just see that you get 5 extra minutes every hour that they don't. Cry Babies I refer to those as

 

[supertrunker]

I'd just ask outright, because you will need to know their stance anyway if they offer health insurance as part of your package.

T

 

[Mohamed]

I'd think that the first thing to do would be to go through the employee manual and see if it addresses the issue. If it does, then you pretty much have to follow the rules. If not, then you need to check with your boss.

Yeah definitely a place to start. This is my first time doing contract work though so not sure if they give you those on first day? I'm technically going to be an employee of the recruiter company I used but have a 3 year contract with another company that I will be working on that premise at. This is all kind of new to me but the money was so much better that I decided to do that instead of keeping salary job at current place.

 

[Mohamed]

Kind of like asking about internet porn policies during the job interview, I would wait till I knew a few people and had a feel for the company.

lol yeah something I wouldn't bring up during an interview process either...vaping or porn that is Why I was thinking of waiting about two weeks before approaching. Was just curious if anyone else had to do this and the best way to bring it up on a new job.

 

[Mohamed]

I'd just ask outright, because you will need to know their stance anyway if they offer health insurance as part of your package.

T

Kind of explained earlier but a little different situation. I get my benefits from the recruiter company and am technically employed through them...but I will be working at another company on their premises / their rules for a 3 year contract. So probably not the typical situation. I don't get paid for vacation, sic time, holidays, etc. I'm basically an hourly employ now as apposed to salary. But even with all of that considered it was about a 50% increase in yearly income. Professionally wise it was good move for me but monetarily wise it was a no brainer

 

[Mohamed]

I'd just ask outright, because you will need to know their stance anyway if they offer health insurance as part of your package.

T

Also with benefits I get my 401k through my recruiter company as well but am not eligible until 1000 billable hours. About 6 months +- a week due to overtime, vacation, sic, etc.

All in all the health and retirement was a wash going the contractor route. This is slightly off topic but there was 3 routes I could go. Recruiter gets a cut from the employer regardless. I could go entirely on my own in which case I'm responsible for my own health insurance, my own retirement, am responsible for paying my own taxes courtly. 1099 I think is what they refered to that as but don't quote me not good with tax stuff ...you get higher hourly rate with this route. 2nd option was to become an hourly employee of recruiter company and get benefits through them. It's slightly less pay but you get health and retirement benefits. Company X then pays them an hourly rate and they take a cut out of it and then pay you. 3rd option was to become full time salary employ of recruiter company. You get even less going this route but after the 3 year contract is up they give you 6 months to find a new contract job with pay.

I chose the 2nd middle of the road risk/reward scenario. I was told that 6 months prior to the 3 year contract that I would be notified if it was to be a full time position. I've also heard that full time positions on another project open up and people move on that way. Recruiter/Contracting is pretty new to me but recruiter guy said 75% of people turn down the full time job and either try to keep contract job or move onto other contracts because the money is so much better going that route.

I look it as a risk/reward type situation. Sure in 3 years I probably got to figure out what to do next but I plan on retiring in about 10 years anyway I'm getting too old to keep learning new technology all the time. And with an approx 50% increase in income I could afford to take 1.5 years to look for a new job? Hope that's not the case but if I save all the extra income that's what it would work out to.

 

[Mohamed]

haven't seen any more input on actually how to approach new employer. There has go to be more of you out there in similar situation...so bump Maybe not exact type of situation but similar?