The Code Section to be Interpreted:
Code 3.2 – Any employee shall be guilty of misconduct if they willfully and without prior consent; steal, damage, affect the appearance of, or otherwise deny the owners’ the use or access to any property belonging to The Company or any other person or company.
The concepts of property and ownership exist, and the purpose of any employment is to gain ownership of money (the ultimate fungible property) by purchasing it with labor. If the property of others can be gained or made use of without consent in accordance with one’s will, then there would be no need for employment. Thus if one indicates that one does not believe in the need for employment by engaging in one of the activities above, then one shall in accordance with this code section be guilty of misconduct.
Examples of Misconduct Under This Code Section:
- Employee A wants a new TV. Employee A sees a new TV that was not purchased by them or otherwise given to them to use by an owner of that TV. Employee A takes the TV and installs it in their home. Employee A is guilty if misconduct under code section 3.2.
- Employee A is jealous of someone elses new TV. Employee A hucks a rock at the new TV, breaking it. Employee A is guilty of misconduct under code section 3.2.
- Employee A is annoyed when a TV owned by The Company is displaying the video chosen by The Company. Employee A installs a new video source and feeds it into the TV, causing it to display the video that Employee A wants instead of that which the owner, The Company, wants. Employee A is guilty of misconduct under code section 3.2.
Examples That Are Not Misconduct Under This Code Section:
- Employee A wants a new TV. Employee A sees a new TV that was not purchased by them or otherwise given to them to use by an owner of that TV. Employee A finds the owner of the TV and offers to purchase it with money. There is no misconduct.
- Employee A sees that someone else has a new TV when invited over to visit them. While visiting, Employee A trips on a child’s toy that was left on the floor and damages the new TV the tripping was witnessed, appeared authentic, and resulted in a small injury of Employee A. There is no misconduct.
- Employee A is annoyed when a TV owned by The Company is displaying the video chosen by The Company. Employee A asks if they might on occasion use the TV to display something else. The representative of The Company declines, and requests feedback as to what might be annoying about the video. There is no misconduct.
