Some of my colleagues take 5-15 minutes more than their allotted break times, and stand chatting for up to 30 minutes when there is work to do. I consider stealing time to be the same as stealing money. Am I too petty?
I’m not sure. How many stopwatches do you own?
You are rightly wary of being overly fastidious. A draconian approach to such things might hasten your co-workers back to their desks (looms? oars?) but so undermine morale that the result would be a less productive staff.
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However, your colleagues do seem to be exploiting the situation, and that they should not do. Not only do they cheat the boss, but they also cheat their more dutiful co-workers by foisting extra work on them. The more difficult question is what to do about it.
Your supervisor is responsible for enforcing the work rules, so your first step should be to mention the matter to him or her. You would be wise to do so casually, without naming any particular offender.
If this proves ineffective you can have a quiet word with the higher-ups about the situation. What I would not do is confront your colleagues directly — unless you enjoy sitting alone in the cafeteria every day. Working in an atmosphere of simmering resentment would be no improvement over the current reign of layabouts and lollygaggers.
There is another, albeit unlikely, possibility. Company owners may know about the situation and choose to tolerate it. They may find that an easygoing atmosphere is good for business, or they may simply not be devoted to maximising efficiency. Their company, their choice.
One needn’t be more observant than the Pope.
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Can you suggest solutions to this ethical dilemma? Or do you have dilemmas of your own? Write to: The Ethicist, Times Features, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1TT. E-mail: ethicist@thetimes.co.uk. Readers’ solutions will be published on Friday.
The Ethicist originates from The New York Times Magazine