March Madness, the Christmas season for basketball fans, is upon us again. And with it come the usual distractions at work: office pools, water cooler debates, furtive surfing of stats on the work computer. Like any other workplace distraction, management can make it a better or a worse experience.
OfficeTeam took a time out to query managers about how March Madness-related activities affected office morale and productivity. It found that half the senior managers they interviewed said March Madness-themed activities at work boosted morale in their shops. Another 36 percent said March Madness actually contributed to higher productivity.
When they asked the same questions a year ago, the number for each were much lower: 32 percent and 27 percent respectively.
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Here's the responses to specific questions about March Madness:
"Do you feel March Madness activities in the workplace, such as watching games or participating in pools that don't involve money, have a positive or negative impact on employee morale?"
The responses:
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Very positive: 9 percent
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Somewhat positive: 41 percent
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No impact: 43 percent
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Somewhat or very negative: 6 percent
"Do you feel March Madness activities in the workplace have a positive or negative impact on employee productivity?"
The responses:
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Very positive: 6 percent
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Somewhat positive: 30 percent
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No impact: 49 percent
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Somewhat negative: 13 percent
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Very negative: 2 percent
"Employers that encourage staff to enjoy events like March Madness recognize that these activities don't have to be viewed as negative workplace distractions," said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. "Organizing friendly contests or watching big games together can give employees much-needed breaks and opportunities to build camaraderie."
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
