At the very least, this suffers from false equivalence: clearly "running betting pools" and "selling Tupperware or Avon" (!) are not in same class as "going to

At the very least, this suffers from false equivalence: clearly "running betting pools" and "selling Tupperware or Avon" (!) are not in same class as "going to a medical or dental appointment" or "running to the cafeteria for a snack". I think it's also somewhat dastardly that he's tacked on "griping about working conditions" and put it in same category as a personal indulgence that should not be enjoyed on "company time" -- it makes for an easy way of shutting down legitimate and constructive criticism. In terms of how things have changed since WordPerfect: there is simply not the clearcut distinction between one's personal life and one's company life that there once was. This cuts both ways: yes, some "company time" is used for personal activities (like, um, eating), but plenty of formerly personal time is now used for the company. ("Dad: stop reading your e-mail!") The only path forward is to be reasonable adults about this: the world has become more complicated, and employees should strive to do right by the company -- and companies should strive to do right by employees. Flexibility and empathy are rewarded with increased productivity and improved morale; rigidity like that displayed here has been obsoleted.