Michael Bloomberg Fires City Employee For Playing Computer Solitaire
Robert Paul Reyes
February 11, 2006
It's not easy writing topical essays almost every day, it entails reading dozens of newspapers and perusing scores of Web sites. When the research gets too tedious, I like to take a break by playing solitaire online or chatting up a cyber buddy. All work and no play makes for a very grumpy fellow.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has zero-tolerance for playing games during business hours, he fired a city employee after he noticed a game of solitaire on his computer screen.
The no-nonsense mayor was making the rounds of the city's legislative office with a photographer in tow, when he came to Edward Greenwood's desk and noticed the solitaire game on the computer screen.
According the Associated Press the mayor said:
"I expect all city workers, including myself, to work hard. There's nothing wrong with taking a break, but during the business day, at your desk, that's not appropriate behavior."
Greenwood now has plenty of time on his hands to play solitaire to his heart's content, but I'm sure he'd rather have his job back.
I've worked in office jobs for almost my whole working life, and it has been my observation that employees who follow the rules and never goof off almost never come up with innovations.
Creative minds don't operate at maximum efficiency if they don't take time to surf the Web, gossip, or play solitaire online. A smart employer will judge an employee not by the few minutes he spends playing solitaire, but by his output the rest of the working day.
I don't mean to imply that Greenwood was fooling around, he claims that he only played games during his breaks.
I hope the mayor has a change of heart, and gives the poor man his job back. Nobody should be fired for taking a break -- whether it's an official one or not.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has zero-tolerance for playing games during business hours, he fired a city employee after he noticed a game of solitaire on his computer screen.
The no-nonsense mayor was making the rounds of the city's legislative office with a photographer in tow, when he came to Edward Greenwood's desk and noticed the solitaire game on the computer screen.
According the Associated Press the mayor said:
"I expect all city workers, including myself, to work hard. There's nothing wrong with taking a break, but during the business day, at your desk, that's not appropriate behavior."
Greenwood now has plenty of time on his hands to play solitaire to his heart's content, but I'm sure he'd rather have his job back.
I've worked in office jobs for almost my whole working life, and it has been my observation that employees who follow the rules and never goof off almost never come up with innovations.
Creative minds don't operate at maximum efficiency if they don't take time to surf the Web, gossip, or play solitaire online. A smart employer will judge an employee not by the few minutes he spends playing solitaire, but by his output the rest of the working day.
I don't mean to imply that Greenwood was fooling around, he claims that he only played games during his breaks.
I hope the mayor has a change of heart, and gives the poor man his job back. Nobody should be fired for taking a break -- whether it's an official one or not.
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