Japanese official fined $11,000 for smoking breaks at work – Reuters

Authorities in Osaka have fined a 61-year-old employee and two colleagues from the prefectural finance department for smoking while on duty, despite initial warnings not to. The prefectural leadership decided to reduce his salary by 10% for a period of six months. In Osaka, civil servants are no longer allowed to smoke during working hours, the ban was introduced in 2019, the portal reported. NextShark .Three employees were first alerted by their supervisor in September 2022 after HR received anonymous information about their activities. During a follow-up conversation in December 2022, the trio allegedly lied about quitting smoking.The 61-year-old department manager-level employee, whose name has not been released, allegedly violated work ethics under Japan’s local civil service law. According to the prefecture, he smoked about 355 hours and 19 minutes during working hours. In addition to the salary reduction, he must return the above amount to his salary.