March Madness means some workers are paying more attention to their bracket results than responding to workplace e-mails. Two new surveys show how the NCAA basketball tournament may be affecting your workplace.
In a recent poll by OfficeTeam, managers were asked, "How do you feel about March Madness activities, such as watching games or participating in pools that don’t involve money, in the workplace?"
Thirty-two percent answered that such activities shouldn't be allowed at work, while 57% said they don’t encourage the activities, but they're OK in moderation. Only 11% said they welcomed the diversion.
On the other hand, workers were asked, "Are you ever distracted from your work by major sporting events?” Twenty percent answered "yes," while 80% said "no."
"As long as they don’t interfere with work, activities tied to sporting events can be great for morale,” says OfficeTeam executive director Robert Hosking. "Watching a game together or holding friendly contests provides opportunities for employees to build team spirit."
The survey also found that 36% of men and 6% of women acknowledged being distracted on the job by sporting events. This number increases (34%) for professionals between the ages of 18 and 34.
The survey represents the responses of 1,013 senior executives at companies with 20 or more employees and 437 workers 18 years of age or older.
Last year, CareerBuilder conducted a survey, via Harris Interactive, of 3,910 workers. The results showed that 20% of respondents had joined in March Madness pools at work. Men were more likely to partake in an office pool than women. For example, 28% of male workers reported participating in March Madness pools at the office, compared to 11% of females.
Workers in the Midwest had participated more often in a March Madness poll than workers in other parts of the country. For instance, 27% of employees in the Midwest claimed they had made bets on a March Madness pool at work, compared to 20% in the Northeast, 17% in the South and 16% in the West.
Experts at OfficeTeam provide some advice to employees who get caught up in March Madness.
• Don’t get benched: Before checking scores online or participating in game-related activities at work, review company policies so you know what’s acceptable and what’s not.
• Take the occasional time out: If your firm allows it, enjoy quick breaks to discuss tournament highlights with coworkers, but don’t let these talks sideline you from other responsibilities. If you’re a die-hard fan, consider requesting time off to watch the playoffs.
• Set up a game plan: If you want to take a day off to enjoy a sporting event, ask your supervisor as far in advance as possible so workloads can be managed. There may be many others with the same idea.
• Don’t step out of bounds: Review your company’s policy and find out ahead of time if your employer is OK with decorating your workspaces to support your favorite colleges.
• Be a good sport: Regardless of team allegiances, show proper sportsmanship in the office. Leave your overly competitive streak at home.
Other odd-ball pools in the workplace
According to CareerBuilder, other odd-ball office pools involving bets include:
• How long someone could keep binder clips attached to his body.
• What time during the day a co-worker would fall asleep at her desk.
• The number of words a manager would say in a meeting since he was very quiet. The winner was a co-worker who guessed 11 words.
• The measurement in inches around a pregnant co-worker’s belly.
• What a co-worker would use as his next excuse to call off work.
• How many people would call in sick the day a new video game came out.
• How late a co-worker was going to be to a meeting.
• Who would be the next Pope.
• Who would win the National Spelling Bee.
• Blood alcohol results on drunk patients.
• How long two co-workers would date.
• Who could grow the best mustache.
