[Gary Petty] This is a notice that was posted on a bulletin board at a business.

Due to increased competition and a keen desire to stay in business we find it necessary to institute a new policy. We are asking that somewhere between starting time and quitting time without infringing on the time devoted to lunch, coffee breaks, rest periods, storytelling, ticket selling, vacation planning, and rehashing of gossip, each employee endeavors to find some time that can be set aside and known as the work break. This may seem a radical innovation, but we believe the idea has possibilities. It can conceivably be an aid to steady employment and regular pay checks. While adoption of the work break is not compulsory, it is hope that each employee will find time to give it a fair trial.

You know a major reason why people get fired is because they don’t do their work. They end up spending their time gossiping or sharing personal stories or maybe just sharing their problems with everyone and they disrupt their work and the work of others. Are you literally talking yourself out of a job? The book of Proverbs says, “In all thy labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads to poverty” (Proverbs 14:23).  Are literally talking yourself out of a job?