In the summer of 2012, a Toronto Star investigation reported that construction and maintenance workers who were supposed to be working at Toronto public schools were spending their mornings at Tim Hortons, drinking in bars, and even kissing in cars. One worker was spotted delivering pamphlets to houses and offering to perform odd jobs for pay on school board time.

The workers submitted time sheets and were paid their wages as if they had put in a full day’s work. In some cases, workers have signed in to work at a school and then announced they had to go get “parts” and were later discovered by Toronto District School Board officials drinking in a bar. In another case, a male worker was found in a board vehicle with a female “fooling around,” according to a board source. In the case of the pamphlets, board sources say a worker was using board time to distribute flyers advertising his services for odd jobs, apparently using board equipment.

How can we explain these behaviours? Based on what you know about learning theory, explain why workers engaged in these inappropriate behaviours during work hours and why they were not doing what they were supposed to be doing. What do you think needs to be done to stop these behaviours and increase the probability that workers will do what they are supposed to be doing?