Objectives
Students will:
- Understand the difference between scheduled and unscheduled work breaks.
- Understand the importance of remaining in their work area and doing their job when they're on company time.
- Understand how taking unscheduled breaks or leaving the work area negatively impacts the organization.
- Understand how taking unscheduled breaks or leaving the work area can undermine productivity.
- Understand how taking unscheduled breaks or leaving the work area can create problems for the supervisor and waste the supervisor's time.
- Understand how taking unscheduled breaks or leaving the work area can disrupt morale and teamwork among co-workers.
- Understand that taking unscheduled breaks or leaving the work area can be grounds for dismissal.
- Model asking their supervisor for permission to take an unscheduled break or to leave the work area.
- Model taking a scheduled work break and returning to work on time.
Step 1: Lesson Introduction
Last time, we found out that sexual harassment on the job is never acceptable. Today we'll learn about another type of behavior that is unacceptable: leaving your work area or taking breaks without permission. Make sure that students have a clear understanding of what a scheduled work break is, and how a break constitutes "personal time" as opposed to "company time," which is devoted exclusively to working in a specified work area. Ask students why they think employers enforce strict policies against leaving the work area or taking unscheduled breaks without permission. Tell them that in today's video, they'll see what can happen if they try to do this.
鈻讹笍 Show the video.
鈴革笍 Stop the video when the "Pause for Discussion" title appears on the screen.
Step 2: Guided Discussion, Part 1
What did the employees do that was not smart?
They took a work break without permission from their boss. They made fun of their boss behind his back. When their boss confronted them, they lied.
What happened to the employees because they were not smart?
They got fired.
Why was the employees' behavior unacceptable to the boss and to the organization?
We've learned in many of these videos that when you're on company time, you're supposed to be in your work area doing your job. If you're taking a break without permission, you're not being productive, which means you're not earning your pay. You're creating problems for your boss, which wastes your boss' time and takes him/her away from doing more productive things. You're also creating bad feelings among your co-workers; they may have to work harder to do the work you're not doing.
How could the employees have been JobSmart?
Have students discuss how the employees could have been JobSmart in the same situation. Then tell students to watch the next part of the video to see one way the employees could have been JobSmart.
鈻讹笍 Start the video again.
鈴革笍 Stop the video when the "Pause for Discussion" title appears on the screen.
Step 3: Guided Discussion, Part 2
How were the employees JobSmart this time?
They checked their watches and promptly returned to their work areas.
What happened because they were JobSmart?
By being aware of time, they showed that they are responsible employees who take their jobs seriously. By focusing on work even when their boss wasn't around, they showed that that can be trusted to work well without supervision. These are traits that organizations value in employees. Employees who behave like this keep their jobs and are often rewarded with pay raises and promotions.
Step 4: Activities
- Invite employers from the community to discuss:
- Why do they require employees to remain in their work areas when they're on company time
- How taking unscheduled breaks or leaving the work area can undermine productivity
- How taking unscheduled breaks or leaving the work area can create problems for the supervisor and waste this person's time
- How taking unscheduled breaks or leaving the work area can disrupt morale and teamwork among co-workers
- Why taking unscheduled breaks or leaving the work area is unacceptable in their organizations and can be grounds for termination
- Specific instances when they have had to terminate employees for taking unscheduled breaks or leaving the work area.
- Have students roleplay asking their boss for permission to take an unscheduled break or to leave the work area.
- Have students roleplay two co-workers taking a scheduled work break. Make sure that all students are wearing a wristwatch for this activity. Specify for students an exact time when the break will be over, then have students practice checking their watches and ending their break at or before the specified time.
- Have students roleplay returning to their work area from an unscheduled break and being confronted by a co-worker who is angry for having to work harder to do the work that the employee on break was neglecting. Have students apologize to their co-workers and promise that they'll never take an unscheduled break again.