Once upon a time, two generations used to quarrel about a variety of topics, including pineapple on pizza, skinny jeans, Coke vs. Pepsi, Marvel vs. DC, and more. Whatever side you picked, told us a lot about your generation. But those who fall into the Gen Z (born 1997–2012) demographic claim that your socks say a lot about your time period. Sandals with socks? Total dad vibes. Ankle socks? TikTok much? Knee-highs? Hi there, time traveller from the 1980s. The debate has now surfaced in workplaces, particularly in regards to the amount of time employees are indulging in smoke breaks.
According to a new survey conducted by online retailer Haypp in the UK, Generation Z is the absolute worst at doing this – and on work hours. The Gen Z cohort is accustomed to taking extended unauthorised time off from work, such as taking extra breaks to vape or smoke outside of their workplace. The typical Gen Z smoker boasts that their cigarette breaks account for an average of six days of yearly leave.
The study investigated a possible link between smoking and stress at work. It was discovered that, aside from break times, as many as 46% of Gen Z employees said that they would rather smoke for 20 minutes throughout the workday than really work. While Gen Z takes the crown for the most smoke breaks, Boomers, Gen X and Millennials are close on their heels.
Furthermore, the study discovered that although millennials were least inclined to take a smoke break during working hours, they are also the most stressed out generation. Two-thirds agree that professional stress increases their intake of cigarettes, but not within working hours.
The top 5 causes listed by HAYPP for wok-place smoking were: Stress, Anxiety, Irritation, Social Atmosphere and Out of Habit. The top 5 professions addicted to smoking were found to be: Real Estate, Construction, Social Care, Hospitality and Management.
Notably, a study that examined the effects of workplace stress on smokers’ behaviours discovered that five of the top 10 reasons people smoke are related to their work: 24% smoke after a stressful day at work, 22% smoke to take a break, 21% smoke when they are under pressure and 21% smoke more frequently when they are managing an increased workload.
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