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Loremaster · 02-04-2003, 07:55 PM

Going to use the restroom or get a sip of water is NOT the same thing as using the office computer to IM a friend, play solitaire, or engage in other pastimes.

I don't know what your work experience is, I have been working for 35 years; every one of those jobs had rules regarding when you could take a break, and for how long.

There are places I have worked in recent years that the ONLY opportunity during the workday for smokers to have a cigarette was during their half-hour lunch break away from the facility.

Many companys (no hard data at my fingertips to say most, though my experience leads me to believe it is so) have policies that expressly forbid personal calls using office phones. My current work location forbids the use of cell phones except in the break room during scheduled breaks.

An employer pays workers to perform the tasks outlined in their job description, not to play games or engage in other personal activities.

While I acknowledge that an occasional break is beneficial, those breaks need be no more than 30 seconds to do some eye exercises (I work in front of a computer), stand and stretch, get that drink of water, etc. There are studies out that discuss the benefits of these micro-breaks. Not one of them recommends using the company's resources to play games.

Yes. If you are being paid minimum wage to answer phone calls for an answering service, and you sit there playing a game because you 'need a break', then you are stealing (or perhaps, perpetrating a fraud). I know a woman who does this type of work in Virginia; she works for the answering service that fields all the incoming calls for a Cable company. She is required to eat her lunch AT her workstation and she is expected to take calls. The only time she gets away from her screen is to visit the restroom. One young girl was fired a few months ago for constantly going to the restroom when things were really busy because she could not handle the workload. They gave her a permanent 'break'.

I will not make the absolute statement that not a single, solitary business owner would consider un-authorized use of a company-owned computer and bandwidth to play on a mud to be theft, but I believe you would be hard-pressed to find one.

What would you call it if you were paying me an hourly wage to prepare your taxes on your computer, using software that you had purchased, and you found me playing (insert Mud of choice) ?

02-04-2003, 07:55 PM	#12
Loremaster Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 35	Going to use the restroom or get a sip of water is NOT the same thing as using the office computer to IM a friend, play solitaire, or engage in other pastimes. I don't know what your work experience is, I have been working for 35 years; every one of those jobs had rules regarding when you could take a break, and for how long. There are places I have worked in recent years that the ONLY opportunity during the workday for smokers to have a cigarette was during their half-hour lunch break away from the facility. Many companys (no hard data at my fingertips to say most, though my experience leads me to believe it is so) have policies that expressly forbid personal calls using office phones. My current work location forbids the use of cell phones except in the break room during scheduled breaks. An employer pays workers to perform the tasks outlined in their job description, not to play games or engage in other personal activities. While I acknowledge that an occasional break is beneficial, those breaks need be no more than 30 seconds to do some eye exercises (I work in front of a computer), stand and stretch, get that drink of water, etc. There are studies out that discuss the benefits of these micro-breaks. Not one of them recommends using the company's resources to play games. Yes. If you are being paid minimum wage to answer phone calls for an answering service, and you sit there playing a game because you 'need a break', then you are stealing (or perhaps, perpetrating a fraud). I know a woman who does this type of work in Virginia; she works for the answering service that fields all the incoming calls for a Cable company. She is required to eat her lunch AT her workstation and she is expected to take calls. The only time she gets away from her screen is to visit the restroom. One young girl was fired a few months ago for constantly going to the restroom when things were really busy because she could not handle the workload. They gave her a permanent 'break'. I will not make the absolute statement that not a single, solitary business owner would consider un-authorized use of a company-owned computer and bandwidth to play on a mud to be theft, but I believe you would be hard-pressed to find one. What would you call it if you were paying me an hourly wage to prepare your taxes on your computer, using software that you had purchased, and you found me playing (insert Mud of choice) ?