LOL !!! - Ya Gotta Love Those Europeans !!!

[WillyT]

Nagging non-smoking workers get burned

<snip>

If you resolved this year to stop smoking, this may give you pause: The owner of a small German company fired three workers after they requested a smoke-free environment.

The manager of the 10-person telemarketing company in Buesum, named Thomas Jensen, told the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper that he fired the trio because their non-smoking was causing disruptions.

Germany introduced non-smoking rules in pubs and restaurants on January 1, but Germans working in small offices are still allowed to smoke.

"Smokers have always been our best employees. Non-smokers interfere with corporate peace," Jensen said. "Our non-smoking employees were actually convinced that they had the right to smoke-free zones. They just complained all the time about smoking, and I don't like grumblers.

"I can't be bothered with trouble-makers," Jensen was quoted saying. "We're on the phone all the time, and it's just easier to work while smoking. Everyone picks on smokers these days. It's time for revenge. I'm only going to hire smokers from now on."

Not surprisingly, the three fired workers are now suing for unfair dismissal.

<snip>

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22593994/

Kind of turns the world on its head, eh?

:evilgrin:

BTW - The other two stories are pretty strange too.

[liberalmuse]

1. LOL. Love it!

I used to smoke, so am a bit sympathetic. It's nice to read something like this when you're used to it being the other way around almost all the time these days. I do have to agree that while smokers do need their short breaks, they are indeed some of the best workers. People always complain about smoker's breaks at work, but the smokers usually do 10 times the amount of work as the whiners.