New Employeer Or How to Approach Existing Employeer

[oxidus]

I'm a few months into a new job, so maybe I can relate with you. I smoked when I started working, so I would just go out the front door and puff away. Now I've quit smoking for vaping and I still go outside. I've brought up the e-cig now and again, but most people are clueless about them (being non-smokers). They don't even have the concept in their heads that it can be done indoors. If you really need to bring it up, try starting with something like "glad I quit smoking for vaping". Every non-smoker seems to relate to that.

I think it's more of a distraction personally, we have an open concept for our offices. I don't like smelling someone's perfume anymore than they would like smelling my maple tobacco. There's a vapour cloud that's going to catch their eye constantly. There's the sound of the coils and airflow, and of me deeply inhaling and exhaling. It's just easier for everyone to vape outside.

 

[MTFogger]

Just ask them. Hey I don't smoke but want to know what the company policy is on smoking. If, when he/she gets that puzzled look on their face explain to them that you vape and offer documents about it if they need more info. Then let them make a decision before you do anything.

 

[COPD]

All I can add to most of this thread is Thank God I drive an 18wheeler for a living, and don't have to worry about what my boss or anybody else thinks. I will say that it was wonderful to sit in the Social Security office the other day and vape to my heart's content - but I asked the security guard first just out of politeness.

... Recruiter ...

As long as you're not a trucking recruiter! (I don't see how those people live with themselves.) I wish you the very best of luck

 

[sc12]

Maybe it depends on the type of job but it seems that just as you'd find out about where and when breaks including lunch happen that it would naturally follow to find out the company policy on smoking and vaping.

 

[CrackerTeg]

I actually brought it up in passing in an interview last week. As its an electronics tech type of gig, they're into tinkering. They mentioned one of their guys is a heavy smoker so my influence will help that guy drop the analogs.

 

[Mohamed]

It's just easier for everyone to vape outside.

I live in the midwest and it's been damn cold here recently. That's one thing about vaping that I have really liked...not having to bundle up and go out doors for 5 mins every hour. But if that's what I have to do to keep off of cigs so be it. I personally will try the bladder excuse and go to bathroom stall for a couple of mins every hour before I bundle up and go outside in this weather. I just hope this isn't one of these "you have to be 100 yards" away from the building type places either. I'll hopefully know more about that when I start.

 

[Mohamed]

As long as you're not a trucking recruiter! (I don't see how those people live with themselves.)

A Computer Programmer / Web Developer / Software Engineer / Application Developer / Database GURU...I've gone by many titles throughout the years. This is my first time going through a recruiter/contract agency though. Have you heard bad things about trucking recruiters?

 

[oxidus]

Haha, yea I live Canada. I bundle up and vape away in -30c. When I walk home, the e-juice tends to get a like syrop from the cold

 

[Mohamed]

Haha, yea I live Canada. I bundle up and vape away in -30c. When I walk home, the e-juice tends to get a like syrop from the cold

Completely off topic but I do that from time to time I find that if I'm outside for a long period and then go indoors my device seems to leak. I guess I always attributed that to the increased pressure in the tank when it heats back up from going to a cold environment to a nice cozy temperature environment. Have no idea if that's true or not but explains the leaky situation to me.

 

[pamdis]

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

I work from home now, so I set my own rules

But at my last job, smoke breaks ended up being 15-20 minutes every hour because of the socializing. Then the non-smoker's decided to come outside too because they resented not having that break. Before long, much business ended up being conducted outside - it was very productive as you could talk to people you normally had no regular contact with during the day and weren't constantly interrupted either. It was great, as long as the weather was nice.

 

[Mohamed]

I work from home now, so I set my own rules

But at my last job, smoke breaks ended up being 15-20 minutes every hour because of the socializing. Then the non-smoker's decided to come outside too because they resented not having that break. Before long, much business ended up being conducted outside - it was very productive as you could talk to people you normally had no regular contact with during the day and weren't constantly interrupted either. It was great, as long as the weather was nice.

That was very much the way I viewed it where we worked...but there was still those "Cry Babies". I guess everyone can't get a long.

 

[COPD]

A Computer Programmer / Web Developer / Software Engineer / Application Developer / Database GURU...I've gone by many titles throughout the years. This is my first time going through a recruiter/contract agency though. Have you heard bad things about trucking recruiters?

I know from personal experience that trucking recruiters will lie about all kinds of things - pay rates (we get paid by the mile); bonuses; trucks equipped with auxiliary power units (APUs); make/model of equipment; you name it. It's really sad that drivers are basically regarded as cattle, or fresh meat. The recruiter's only job is to get a company's trucks filled by any means possible. Some of them are actually employed by the company they're working for, and a lot of them are independent. Independent recruiters can get as much as $1,000.00 for a new recruit that finishes orientation and pulls one load. Trucking is unlike any other type of business out there. Ironically, I stared driving 14+ years ago so I could smoke at work I was a bookkeeper before that - back in the days when banks verified check signatures by hand.

I apologize for misunderstanding - I thought you were a recruiter of some kind yourself.

 

[COPD]

This is a test to see if I could still post replies. I kept getting the message that my reply was too short in the only other thread I've posted in. I tried to delete this one, but it wouldn't let me.

 

[Mohamed]

I know from personal experience that trucking recruiters will lie about all kinds of things - pay rates (we get paid by the mile); bonuses; trucks equipped with auxiliary power units (APUs); make/model of equipment; you name it. It's really sad that drivers are basically regarded as cattle, or fresh meat. The recruiter's only job is to get a company's trucks filled by any means possible. Some of them are actually employed by the company they're working for, and a lot of them are independent. Independent recruiters can get as much as $1,000.00 for a new recruit that finishes orientation and pulls one load. Trucking is unlike any other type of business out there. Ironically, I stared driving 14+ years ago so I could smoke at work I was a bookkeeper before that - back in the days when banks verified check signatures by hand.

I apologize for misunderstanding - I thought you were a recruiter of some kind yourself.

Nope no problem at all if any misunderstanding was in place. Like I said this is my first time going through a recruiter/contractor type of work in the 30+ years I've been in the business. Last/current job I held for 17 years so this is completely new and uncharted waters for me. Getting same benefits and about 50% bump in salary I really couldn't turn it down. Professionally wise it was a good decision but monetarily wise it was a no brainier.

I think the only downside of going this route is if economy takes another a dump. Contractors / hourly employees are the first to go. They keep their salary / full time employees first but git rid of the extra overhead first. Think I mentioned that in this thread already but that's the risk vs reward type scenario you deal with when going this route. This is 3 year contract and am supposed to be notified 6 months before hand if this is full time opening or not. I feel comfortable moving on for a 3 year contract...if it was 6 month contract I probably wouldn't be doing this.

 

[COPD]

... Getting same benefits and about 50% bump in salary I really couldn't turn it down. Professionally wise it was a good decision but monetarily wise it was a no brainier. ... Think I mentioned that in this thread already but that's the risk vs reward type scenario you deal with when going this route. This is 3 year contract and am supposed to be notified 6 months before hand if this is full time opening or not. I feel comfortable moving on for a 3 year contract...if it was 6 month contract I probably wouldn't be doing this.

I hear you! I wish I had just a little of your knowledge and experience - I LOVE computer-y stuff. But I couldn't work in an office environment now that I'm used to wearing my house shoes, sweat pants, and t-shirts to work every day.

Didn't you say somewhere that you're gonna retire in a few years, and if this works out....???

 

[Mohamed]

Didn't you say somewhere that you're gonna retire in a few years, and if this works out....???

I probably didn't put away as much of nest egg as I should have...but yeah hoping in 5-10 years to retire. So hopfully 3 year contract turns into 5 or a full time position