Korean Job Discussion Forums

[madowlspeaks]

Does anyone know of a good way to effectively stamp out smkoing in the workplace?


The students at my school (a university) are out of control! They are smoking in the hallways, making ashtrays out of cleaning pans and are basically destroying the school! There are cigarette stains everywhere! On the floors and on the walls....
They are taking over the break areas where the benches are and turing everything into an ugly mess!
The whole place stinks and even I stink when I leave work. My lungs and throat hurt. It's like working in a bar! The hallways get so smokey that it is hard to breathe! Talk about workplace hazards !!!!!!!


The students ignore the signs on the walls that say no smoking (in Korean). When approached, they laugh and walk away while still puffing as they retreat into the boys room. They just don't care!
A couple of times, I have confiscated cigarettes and thrown them away in front of the students to set an example. This has resulted in loss of face and a student pelting me with a lighter. Nothing is working!!!
The only thing that really ends up happening is that I look like the bad guy.

This sucks cause I want to the the teacher that they like and respect but I am becoming the *bitchy* wayggok who yells about smkoing.

Oh what to do!

[simone]

Do you teach at ShiripDae?

I just remember going through the same argument. I'd point to the signs that said "no smoking building" and the sts would shrug and point at the overflowing ashtrays.

[europe2seoul]

So what? By law they have to put the no smoking sign there but that does not mean you have to follow it. I was a student same like them and we smoked normally in the break areas, hallways, balconies or toilet. It is what people do in between classes.

Deal with it or go back to your US with all the bans!

[simone]

[Ryst Helmut]

[happeningthang]

Students and staff (myself included) do smoke in the University buildings, where I am, but there is an unspoken understanding about where to do so.

The hallways, lecture halls and class rooms are off limits, but the stairwell landings are where the smokers linger. To coincide with the coffee machine locations.

Maybe you should try and build some consensus about allocated smoking areas instead of trying to ban smoking all together. Create a smoking zone, complete with ashtrays and your problem is contained at least.

[cangel]

In my uni building the Chinese students smoke incessantly... When confronted they put them out but then light up when we leave. Also, there are a few profs that smoke as well while they are visiting the bank, err, making a deposit... We have put up signs (in 3 languages), confronted the offenders directly (even the profs), and nothing. Very frustrating!

[Fresh Prince]

[Sine qua non]

[ella]

[peppermint]

get this:
translated?

[freshking]

Happens at my uni too. It's annoying, but I think confiscating cigarettes is a little out of line. You're setting yourself up to be the a**hole in this situation. Tell your boss or the administration about your throat problems maybe, but I don't think trying to force the students not to smoke will get you anywhere.

[cangel]

You see, this is where we need the good ol' American style class-action lawsuit. When a uni has to fork over millions for smoking claims, the enforcement will begin. The laws and regulations are on the books but ignored. Monetary fines, threats of dismissal of profs, that'll get their attention. The lame @ss excuse, "this is Korea," while I understand, it just a lazy excuse.

Then again, thinking a Korean court would actually hold big business accountable is, well, probably not going to happen.