Should Idaho Non-Smokers get Extra Time Off?

We all know that smoking has the potential to affect our health, and most people would recommend against it.  Having said that, what being a non-smoker meant you got more time off?

I saw this story last night, and it made me wonder how such a policy would be received in Idaho, or really here in the United States.

A company in Japan has decided to give non-smoker employees an extra six days of vacation per year, to compensate for the time smokers spend on smoke breaks.  The concept was an employee suggestion that was put into place.

I have to admit, I've worked several places where this idea was floated or there was an awareness of the extra "breaks" smokers might receive, but it never seemed like something the companies I worked at would consider.

The company in Japan is a marketing company who is located on the 29th floor of a high-rise, and smokers have to travel to the basement for smoke breaks.  It's likely they spend more time on their smoke breaks than most workplaces would experience, and that company says those break last an average of 15 minutes.

The CEO of the company also said they hope this "reward" will be incentive to move some employees from smokers to non-smokers.  In Japan, it's estimated that one in four adults smoke.

For more on this, check out the coverage from KING TV.