Non-smokers get extra paid leaves

Tokyo: Non-smoking employees of a Japanese firm will get an extra six days of paid holidays a year after they complained they were working more than those who took time off for cigarette breaks. Tokyo-based firm Piala Inc. introduced the non-smokers’ perk in September. There was growing resentment among the non-smokers because the company’s office is on the 29th floor of an office block. A smoke break lasts almost 15 minutes because anyone wanting a cigarette had to go to the basement level. 

“One of our non-smoking staff put a message in the company suggestion box earlier in the year saying that smoking breaks were causing problems,” company spokesman Hirotaka Matsushima told the Telegraph. “Our CEO saw the comment and agreed, so we are giving non-smokers some extra time off to compensate.” Non-smokers were quick to cash in on the incentive. No fewer than 30 of the company's 120 employees have taken additional days off under the new system since it was introduced, said Mr Matsushima.