work issue

So tonight I went back to my office to see if an employee could come in and work early, since I don't have anybody to work early and I work late, and found one of the housewares people talking on his cellphone in this little storage area right next to my office. I sit there for a little thinking he'll get off the phone since I'm there, but he keeps talking about booking hotel rooms, I think for some church thing. So I finish up and ask him if he's working? He says yes, so I say Okay, then, get to work. I felt really awkward about the whole thing, but the dude knows the rules. If he were using the work phone, in his area, I wouldn't give a crap. But he's sitting down, willfully avoiding work and basically being paid for things he can do on his own time. So he comes back to talk to me about it. I tell him I'm not trying to be a jerk about this. He says the way I said it was not very nice. I'm okay with this, I know I can be blunt and people don't always respond to that. So my question to you is what should I say that would not be perceived as rude, but would get the point across? Oh, and his excuse was that he had put up stock and done other work already. That doesn't do it for me. You don't take breaks at 815pm, when we close at 9pm. I feel like I've handled things wrong and am a bad manager. I also feel like I'm taking it too hard, but I still feel bad.

I hope so. He's been fine with me since then. I've even helped him move some stuff around for a holiday display. Besides that, work is fun. I'm making most sales goals that the current manager isn't, while she's still here. Her last day is tomorrow. I find it funny because each day I get more annoyed with her horrible laugh, her stupid accent, and her whinyness. I can spend about 2 minutes with her without getting completely annoyed. So I'm glad to see her go. She is a nice person, she just doesn't know how to get things done, besides making things look pretty. Which doesn't keep you a manager forever. She's moving to Shawnee because she requested a transfer to Oklahoma. She really wants to get to Penn Square, but she'll have to make her goals before that can happen. And it's decreasing productivity. I get it, they want to say bye to her, but all at the same time, while I'm in another office working on schedules? And our boss noticed it. I told them to stay busy because I saw him in the camera room, but that didn't do it for them. But he's cool, so it will all work out. Just very distracting. But it was a super slow day, so I just did something else so that I could get away from the manager's laugh. Done venting now

[size=18]First of all I just wanted to say that I totally agree with Kate on the whole issue with that one guy. Remember what you are always telling me when I complain about my neighbor that is always wanting me to buy her cigarettes for walking my dog and give her keys to my apaprtment and Poo. She is not my friend and I do not owe her anything. Same goes for your situation. You are the manager he is your employee, you don't owe him anything. You don't have to explain or justify any time that you ask him to do something for work. But when he does something while he is on the clock that is not work related; he does have to justify that to you period.
I have to deal with that in my office too. Cyndi the girl I didn't really like when she first started is actually the one I love working with now because she brings no drama with her to work. Jaimee on the other hand is nothing but drama. She is always getting offended when I try to talk to her about her mistakes. She automatically jumps into defensive mode and there is just no talking to her. But it is my job to talk to her and that is just what I have to do. She is not my friend. If she doesn't like me for it that is her problem. And yes I have to repeat that to myself about a million times to keep from faltering.