WASHINGTON — College basketball playoffs are coming up, and office workers spend an average of 26 nonwork minutes a day on March Madness, according to staffing firm OfficeTeam. Over the course of 15 days, that adds up to six hours of lost worker productivity.
But most bosses tolerate March Madness-related activities in the office, and even participate in it, because it is a proven annual morale booster.
Office brackets games that involve money are technically illegal gambling, though they’re hardly ever cracked down on. Even so, instead of money, consider some alternatives for your office brackets game.
“It could be something that is more about bragging rights in the office, and nothing that is going to be monetarily valued,” Trey Barnette, at OfficeTeam’s D.C. office, told WTOP.
“Or if you’re going to do something, make it a prize or something that is more of an object than actual money,” he said.
The one thing the boss doesn’t like? If you’re doing a little game night partying, don’t call in sick the next morning.
“If you know that you’re going to go out and party and not going to be able to make it to work the next day, especially when a championship game comes around, you know what? Go ahead and already take that day off with some personal time off instead of calling in abruptly late that day,” Barnette said.
Selection Sunday, when the NCAA Division 1 Men’s basketball Committee reveals the 68 teams that have made the field for this year’s basketball championships, is March 11.
