Personal Use of Other Equipment

April 13, 2006

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While usage of certain company equipment such as fax and copy machines doesn't present the same sort of problems as computer usage, there are still significant reasons to try to control this behavior. Faxing can get expensive and the paper and toner costs for both fax and copy machines can add up. The maintenance of these machines, in particular, is also related to usage. Letting an employee make 500 copies of a flyer for a personal event might end up costing more than you think!

Test Yourself

Bob is a good employee. The office atmosphere is pretty relaxed, and he fits right in. One evening while looking at the summary of faxes that have been sent over the course of the day, you notice that some numbers are to local radio stations and restaurants.

It seems that Bob has been faxing in requests to the local radio station and has been faxing in orders for take out at lunch time. You notice that the time of day on the calls is during work time, not break time. What do you do?

Tell him to stop

Let it slide

If the equipment in question is a car, then there is a different set of ramifications to think about.