3 Japanese Officials Disciplined for Smoking
4,512 Instances Over 14 Years and 6 Months
"A Short Break Is Okay, Right?"
Amid ongoing debates in Japan over the so-called workplace "smoke breaks," a recent case emerged where three Japanese public officials were disciplined for frequently leaving their posts to smoke.
According to Japanese media outlet Mainichi Shimbun and other foreign news sources on the 28th, three public officials belonging to the Osaka Prefectural Ministry of Finance were disciplined on the 20th for smoking.
Osaka Prefecture received an anonymous tip last September that three male employees of the Ministry of Finance often left their posts during working hours to smoke, and they were verbally warned. However, they continued to smoke during work hours, leading Osaka Prefecture to ultimately decide on disciplinary action.
The employee who received the heaviest punishment was a 61-year-old male supervisor-level official, who was given a six-month pay cut. This man was recorded to have smoked a total of 4,512 times (355 hours and 19 minutes) during work hours over his 14 years and 6 months of service. This figure was calculated based on an average of twice per day.
However, it is reported that this disciplinary action was not under the Local Public Service Act but rather an internal office sanction. Previously, in 2018, six male employees were also disciplined for smoking for the same reason at this location.
Currently, Osaka Prefecture prohibits smoking inside government buildings and requires employees to use designated smoking areas during breaks. However, dissatisfaction persists among smoking employees because the smoking areas are far away.
One public official who was reprimanded in 2018 complained, "It takes about 15 minutes to use the smoking room in a nearby private building, which caused issues with fairness in working hours compared to non-smoking colleagues."
A Japanese Company Introduces 'Smoke Leave' for Non-Smokers
The debate over workplace "smoke breaks" is heated in Japan as well. Non-smokers argue that smoking during work hours is neglectful, while some smokers believe that short breaks should be allowed.
In this context, Japanese consulting firm Shikigaku conducted a survey last year of 300 office workers about their work conditions. When asked if there were "older bosses who come to work but do not work," 49.2% of respondents in their 20s and 30s answered "yes." When asked, "What do those who loaf around at work do instead of working?" 49.7% of respondents said, "They frequently leave their posts to smoke or snack."
In Japan, middle-aged and older workers who do not work but smoke or engage in similar behavior at the workplace are referred to as "hatarakanai ojisan," which translates to "men who do not work." Some argue that these individuals not only cause generational conflicts but also reduce labor productivity.
In related news, a marketing company in Tokyo introduced a "Smoke Leave" system in 2017, offering up to six days of compensatory leave to non-smoking employees. After implementing the system, 30 out of 120 employees who were non-smokers applied for the leave, and four smoking employees reportedly quit smoking.
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