Over 80 per cent of non-smokers feel that they work harder than colleagues who smoke.

New research from an Irish staff-management company shows that the average smoker will spend about five per cent of their time, or 25 minutes a day, outside smoking.

The survey, carried out across 120 Irish businesses also found that 81 per cent of non-smokers believe they work harder than their smoking colleagues. This is not a belief held across the board, however, with just 23 per cent of managers holding the same sentiment.