Somebody who works where you work is a very heavy smoker and likes to
smoke in her office.  This in and of itself wouldn't bother you, because
youdon't have to go in her office, but she has a tendency to leave the
office door open and the smoke drifts out into the hallway.  Smoking is
banned in University buildings, so she is breading the law, but you are
new there and feel it is in your interest not to have her mad at you. 
What do you do?

8 responses total.

Honestly, if I were new, I probably wouldn't do anything, except build up
resentment.  It's not a very *good* strategy, but that's what I'd do.

This response has been erased.

I agree with Valerie.  Being new and all, I wouldn't get too involved.

It is probably slimy, but anonymous notification of someone (public safety,
environmental management, her boss, etc) would be what I'd do.

If there were enough smoke to make me cough, and I had any
reasonable excuse for me to talk to her about something else,
I would raise the issue in terms of my health (including 
minuscule history of asthma) and ask her to consider closing
her door.

I might force a couple of coughs whenever I had to go to the office.
If it were annoying enough, I might ask my supervisor to arrange a
work area for me that wasn't smoky and see if that started any
'interesting' developments.

I refuse to breathe smoke.  I was disinvited to a high level meeting
because I told my boss I'd tell the BIG GUY what to do with his 
cigar (it was a non-smoking building, too).  I have a big mouth.
But I like Bret's approach, too.

I personally dont care if a cigarrette smoker likes me or not, I would tell
her it is against state law and it should be done outside. When she can behave
like a person she can come back inside.

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