Antiques expert leaves smoker fuming after job advert states 'must be non-smoker'

10:33am Thursday 1st November 2012 in News

WINDOW NOTICE: TV antiques expert David Harper beside the job advert in his shop window which caused the trouble WINDOW NOTICE: TV antiques expert David Harper beside the job advert in his shop window which caused the trouble

WHAT started out as an innocent advert for part-time staff placed in a shop window resulted in TV antiques expert David Harper being accused of discrimination by an angry jobseeker.

Mr Harper stuck a card in the door window of his antiques business in The Bank, Barnard Castle, advertising for people to help out in both the shop and its newly-opened tea room.

The business is based in a four-storey grade-II listed building and Mr Harper’s advert stated: “Part-time staff. Washing up and cleaning in tea room and antique shop. Must be non-smoker and fit! 4 floors to cover with lots of running upstairs!”

He said a woman who read the sign had been standing outside smoking a cigarette.

“She stubbed it out on the floor and came in to inquire about the job vacancy. I assumed she must be applying for someone else.

“I told her what it entailed and when I said we didn’t want a smoker, she accused me of discriminating against smokers, stormed out and slammed the door.”

Mr Harper, a familiar face on TV shows such as Bargain Hunt and The Antiques Road Trip, has run his business in Barnard Castle for more than 15 years.

Comments(12)

Yemen says...
11:07am Thu 1 Nov 12

smokers are not a 'protected group' and therefore it is perfectly legal to have stated in your advert that you will not interview of consider one for the position.

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oliviaden6 says...
1:23pm Thu 1 Nov 12

Someone else trying it on for a SO called ambulance chaser solicitor to get on the band wagon Good for you Mr Harper its your business and your lively hood so do what you please and bugger the rest of them?

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5under1and says...
2:12pm Thu 1 Nov 12

Hope she gets fined for dropping her fag butt!

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Davy Crocket says...
2:33pm Thu 1 Nov 12

Here here for the businessman lets get some common sense back in this country. Hope that woman has her benefits cut.

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Davy Crocket says...
2:35pm Thu 1 Nov 12

5under1and wrote:
Hope she gets fined for dropping her fag butt!
If she stops her fags she might get a fat butt

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johnny_p says...
2:37pm Thu 1 Nov 12

Excellent! I get sick of covering for smokers who seem to be "entitled" to get at least 20% of their day of to indulge in their filthy habit.

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glyn says...
2:38pm Thu 1 Nov 12

Hope she gets fined for dropping her fag butt!”
Love it lol.

I would nt employ a smoker either due to the lost time.

People with mobiles always texting would get refused.(look what they have done to pubs, kids behind the bar unable to speak and sit texting)

Nice publicity for him any way, free-money can t buy this exposure. Is it a set up

Lets all stand for the National Anthem.(What happened to them?)

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drainman says...
5:38pm Thu 1 Nov 12

Why on earth did she ask about the job when she was a smoker? obviously a **** stirrer.

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Little owl says...
5:56pm Thu 1 Nov 12

5under1and wrote:
Hope she gets fined for dropping her fag butt!
If some one wants to make a statement to that effect then I will oblige.

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frankyboy says...
8:59pm Fri 2 Nov 12

Well I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that I agree with her and not Mr Harper. What if he'd said 'must be a football fanatic' (knowing he would then probably get a male applicant and not a girl, which he didn't want).
I can't see how being a smoker would affect the ability to do this job. He could stipulate break times etc (no special concessions) so what is the problem?
But hey, people who have habits we don't approve of, let's target them eh? Let's punish them, nail 'em up I say, nail some sense into them!
I'm a non-smoker by the way. And I wouldn't want to work for this oddball.

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Sick As A Pig says...
9:00am Sat 3 Nov 12

If you smoke, you stink. Dirty stinking ciggy smokers get on my t*t ends blowing that cr*p out of their gobs when Im walking behind them, I dont want to smoke thank you very much. Ban it, make it illegal.

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Sick As A Pig says...
9:01am Sat 3 Nov 12

Oh Yeah, well done to the shop owner.

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