Deni Elliott , Ethics Officer
	Jeff Cable , Ethics Educator

“Every time I walk past his cubicle he’s on his cell phone. It’s no wonder I keep getting more work!” The employee was frustrated with what she saw as a clear abuse of district resources and, as a result, a disproportionate division of work. 

Yet MWD does allow for incidental use of some resources with supervisors’ approval. Examples include:

• Calling a caregiver to check on a sick child
• Calling in a prescription to a local pharmacy
• Checking voice mail or e-mail

These examples share common characteristics. They are relatively short in duration and a sense of urgency exists that justifies contact being made during work hours. Whether someone is crossing a line of use to abuse is often a matter of judgment. MWD managers often ask these questions as a quick test to decide if the matter should be addressed.

• Is this behavior disrupting our work flow?
• Does this behavior appear to be chronic (frequency of use and duration)?
• Can the same results be obtained using the employee’s own time and resources?

A yes answer to any of the previous may constitute grounds for concern by a manager or a coworker. These are also good questions for employees to ask themselves when deciding to use MWD resources for personal issues. 

Unsure about the multitude of ring tones coming from the next cubicle? Not sure if you should tell your spouse not to call you at the office?

Chat with your supervisor about your questions or ask the Ethics Office.