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Blogging for Jesus on work time

OK, the title is misleading. I'm not at work, and this isn't a religion blog. What I have been thinking about lately is work place ethics. What is acceptable? Does it vary by situation? There was an episode of the NBC show The Office that aired on 10-09-08 that took a hilarious spin on this topic. Michael and Holly decide that the employees need a refresher course in workplace ethics. Dwight says he does not waste any company time, so Jim decides to use a timer to track how much time Dwight spends on activities such as yawning, bathroom visits, ect.

While this episode of The Office was funny, it did raise questions. Where is the line between acceptable and unacceptable use of work time? What about a person who blogs about his Christian faith and church involvement, but does it on work time? Unlikely to win any converts among your coworkers. What about briefly checking personal email (probably OK) and spending hours on message boards/Facebook/MySpace/twitter.com (probably not OK). Is there a difference between shaving a few minutes off your day and not showing up at all for work (while still claiming a full shift was worked) when you know no one else is scheduled to be in the office?

I'm not saying I'm perfect either. I have been guilty of the following work-place crimes and misdemeanors:
Reading the postings of previously mentioned "Christian blogger". This can be explained as inter-office communication, as this person is rarely in the office at the same time I am and does not talk to me when he is there.

Using full water sample bottles as weights to do arm exercises. I figure this falls under the category of "employee wellness".

Mailing personal bills. This can be explained as motivation to remain employed when I see how much money is going out.

Studying Spanish. This could be called professional development in case our company ever expands into global markets.

One thing I can honestly say is that I have never participated in the newly minted phenomenon of Cyber Monday, when people do their on-line Christmas shopping from their work computers. The connection is way too slow.

Labels: ethics, The Office

posted by Kia at Wednesday, December 03, 2008 | 1 comments 
Lighthouses, Then and Now

During a recent visit to Michigan, my husband and I toured the coast of Lake Huron to photograph lighthouses. One of our stops was at Tawas Point, the location of which is shown by the barely visible red circle on the map on the sign. This was the historical lighthouse, now used only as a museum and gift shop (both closed for the season when we visited). Over the years, the shifting sands and changing coastline required the placement of a new navigational beacon a half a mile from the original lighthouse. This is what our government constructed. Which do you think is more photogenic? Labels: lighthouses, Michigan

posted by Kia at Tuesday, December 02, 2008 | 1 comments