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SALT LAKE CITY -- There is no doubt. March Madness has a definitely negative effect on workplace productivity. Analysts at Challenger, Gray and Christmas say companies could lose more than $192 million due to people wasting time on the job.
So, it's understandable why employers may want to put the brakes on workers watching the tournament online, or keep employees from even talking about the games.
But, whether a business owner likes it or not, Platinum Business Strategies President Carla Fugit says employees are distracted every day.
Ultimately, human beings do what human beings want to do.
–Carla Fugit
"Bureau of Labor statistics speculate that up to two hours a day is wasted due to a lack of employee engagement," she said.
She says some bosses may prohibit their workers from talking about it, but if the employees are excited to see the games, bosses probably won't like what ends up happening.
"Ultimately, human beings do what human beings want to do," Fugit said. "A lot of people are wired as such that if you tell them not to, they're going to do it anyway, but they're going to do it behind your back."
Fugit says the tournament can actually be used to boost employee engagement and morale, and she's not alone.
Eric Mead with the Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness said, "I find this as a great opportunity to embrace what's happening with March Madness, taking advantage of building the team internally, perhaps creating your own internal work pool."
Mead says the trick is to harness the excitement for the games employees may have and aim it toward their monthly goals.
"Businesses that embrace individual scoring, helping people understand how they win each day, actually create a more productive environment," he explained.
Mead says not every company would need to be flexible with March Madness, per se. Maybe the employees of one particular company aren't interested in college basketball but they may be interested in other events. He says it's up to the employer to gauge how high the level interest is among the workers.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
