on the call .” In a recent survey of 1,600 full time workers published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine , a fifth reported vaping at work . Employment law specialist Alex Faulkner says employers can ask employees not to vape when taking part in remote online meetings but the request must be reasonable . He said : “ If your employer wants you to stop vaping on camera , politeness may compel you to stop , or your employer could issue a reasonable management instruction to do so . This instruction carries the weight of disciplinary action if not complied with but must be reasonable given the circumstances . This means that your employer must have a good reason , which they may struggle to apply consistently .” He said the change to remote working during the lockdown had brought up new dilemmas when it came to working etiquette . “ Vaping may be unpleasant or unprofessional on Zoom calls but arguably so is wearing a dressing gown or slurping your tea loudly .” Will an employer issue a warning to the tea slurpers ? It may prove tricky for your boss to show a good reason why one is ok but the other isn ’ t .” It ’ s not just vaping at home where an employer could take offence at , but smoking also , especially if your job is in the public eye . In July 2020 , a county councellor in Cambridge was criticised for smoking on a Zoom call from her home . Liberal Democrat Barbara Ashwood apologised after conservative councillor Steve Count posted a screenshot on Twitter and wrote : “ I can ’ t believe what I ’ m seeing . We have a responsibility for public health !” While this is an extreme example , it could be that a reaction to vaping comes down to luck . So just how bothered are non-vapers about this issue ? Tom , an online lecturer , said he would not ask students to stop vaping but worried that it may be a sign of lack of concentration . He said : “ I ’ d just feel like the other person was distracted or not engaged as much . I don ’ t think I would have a problem with it realistically . I have tutorials with students so it ’ s whatever makes them comfortable . If we were having a staff meeting or doing presentations then it would be a little inappropriate , as it ’ s the kind of thing you wouldn ’ t do in real life in a meeting .” So while most people don ’ t seem to object to a discrete vape on a Zoom call , it may be polite to ask first so as not to cause offence . Most non-vapers seem to be amused by it and @ Abby _ spinach posted a particularly amusing anecdote on Twitter . She wrote : “ Feel connected on a psychic level to my coworker who does every Zoom meeting from her bed while vaping dramatically .”
“ I ’ ll happily vape openly on calls with colleagues I know as friends , though I ’ ll try to mute myself when doing so or it sounds like Darth Vader is on the call .”
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