TOKYO — A Japanese company is giving its nonsmoking employees an extra six days off a year after workers complained about colleagues’ smoke breaks.
At least 30 out of 120 employees at Piala Inc,. a marketing company in Japan, are taking time off under the policy which started in September, British newspaper The Telegraph reported. Four stopped smoking because of the perk.
"I hope to encourage employees to quit smoking through incentives rather than penalties or coercion," company CEO Takao Asuka told Kyodo News.
The measure is part of a trend to reduce secondhand smoke. Some companies have instituted employee smoking bans.
The time off for those employees is supposed to be equivalent to the estimated 15 minute smoke breaks, The Telegraph reported.