Abstract: A telephone headset alert mechanism which assists in the freehand operation of a telephone system. The mechanism includes a base, preferably rectangular in configuration, for pivotally mounting a weighted, unbalanced L-shaped pivot member. The L-shaped pivot member is operable between an active status mode and an inactive status mode, where the legs of the L-shaped member include indicia to identify the status of the telephone system, particularly to third parties who may approach the operator of the telephone system.