;0

mg, i need you to come in here a minute.

yes, nina?

is this your time sheet?

um, looks like it.

what is this?

um, that's where i put in how long my lunch break was.

i know that! i mean, why is it like this?

oh, i guess sometimes when i can't find a black pen i--

not the ink color! the times! the times! how long was your lunch break?

let me see, i took only half an hour last week because you'd told us not to stay late, and i was trying to catch up on--

i told you not to stay late and you thought you could pull an end run and steal extra time during your lunch hour?

i wasn't stealing time, i just needed to get that evaluation--

you work nine to six, less an hour for lunch. that makes forty hours a week. when you go over that, we have to pay you overtime. overtime reduction is a key principle in our departmental mission statement. it erodes other workers' morale and creates an artificially competitive environment. so, no. you take a full hour, and you deduct a full hour from your time sheet.

but, with the extra projects you-- i mean, what if i can't hit our target deadlines without--

you might find it constructive to spend a narrower slice of your 'time pie' chatting with jolly roger and a slightly more generous piece focusing on your job.

but i never even want to talk--

i'm glad we could both take advantage of this training opportunity. now be a sweetheart and top this off? also, add a splash of milk and half a pack of sugar.