Just beforehand I want to say I have nothing against smokers. My parents and the person I'm dating smoke, I just don't myself and don't see why I should get slighted and given unfair treatment like this just because I don't.
I have 2 different stories that just feel like they fit here. If anyone knows a better subreddit feel free to let me know.
Story 1: working at a large chain thrift store. getting followed and harassed by a customer to the point they're getting in the way while I'm trying to put out stock. Tell Assistant Manager (AM) that I am going to take my break now (breaks were never scheduled here we always just made sure not all of us went on break at once).
AM- “Sorry but new company policies state if you work shift of x hours and clock out for your lunch you only get one 15min break, not two.”
Me- “That's odd. because manager told me I get two 15min breaks when I work these shifts unless I'm a smoker, like you, then I get a number of completely unchecked breaks throughout the day. I'll be sure to bring this up to her when we work together tomorrow as she had not mentioned this change to me”
AM- “AH, you know what? Never mind. Don't bother with that. Take a break if you really need one.”
Story 2: working as a caregiver for a private client who was completely unchecked by the company I worked through and had all the power and abused it frequently.
I preferred to use the public bathroom in her building that was just down the hall from her apartment for various reasons, including that I used it as a mental health break and the fact I have a severe allergy to lavender and she had that in nearly everything in her bathroom (the soap, toilet paper, and air freshener. She did so on purpose knowing my allergy, which is a whole other can of worms). Last bit of background info she had multiple caregivers throughout the day and I knew one of them and knew he smoked and got smoke breaks during his shifts.
Client- “You need to use my bathroom, the bathroom down the hall is for building staff only. besides what if something happens while you're in the bathroom?”
Me- “I am only ever gone to that bathroom 10minutes at most. If something horrible happens to you within that 10 minutes there'a nothing I could do besides call 911. Also, I know the building handyman, he's never said anything to me about using that bathroom.”
Client- “Well you still need to use my bathroom instead”
Me- “Okay. But I will still be taking short walks down the hallway now and then as mental health breaks for myself.”
Client- “You don't need mental health breaks. This job isn't stressful. You need to be here if an emergency happened. It's your job!!”
Me- “Should I expect you to be telling other caregiver he can't have smoke breaks anymore then?”
suddenly what bathroom I use no longer is such an issue.
In both these situations it just felt absolutely ridiculous to me that if I picked up a health hazardous habit I never would've had to dealt with so much bull. Work culture and double standard hypocrisy marches on.