by Tammy Binford
“Team building” is a term that gets a lot of buzz among those interested in fostering collaboration and camaraderie in the workplace. Executives are eager to sponsor activities to nurture creativity and productivity, and they sometimes focus their efforts on helping employees have fun at work. 
With March Madness in full swing, employers may wonder if college basketball’s national tournament can help the cause? Or does the Big Dance have the opposite effect? Getting caught up in the tournament may be fun, but will office bracket competitions, break room conversations, and conference room viewing stations also provide more distractions for workers who may already be unfocused and easily sidetracked?
Morale vs. productivity
Staffing company OfficeTeam recently surveyed more than 1,000 managers on the effects of the NCAA tournament in their workplaces. Twenty percent of the managers felt office activities related to the tournament improved employee morale at least somewhat. Just four percent viewed them negatively. The majority—75 percent—said March Madness events at work have no effect on morale or productivity.
This year’s survey differs from OfficeTeam’s 2010 survey, in which 41 percent of executives felt office tournament celebrations helped morale while 22 percent thought those activities hurt productivity.
OfficeTeam Executive Director Robert Hosking feels the research shows some wisdom in letting employees enjoy tournament time. “Employees need a chance to bond with coworkers over shared interests,” he says. “Group activities—whether based on the NCAA basketball tournament or other events—provide a channel for team building.”
Even if the games boost morale, employers have to consider the downside. Outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., does an annual study estimating how much March Madness costs American companies. This year’s study places the tab at a minimum of $134 million in “lost wages” over the first two days of the tournament as an estimated 3 million employees spend one to three hours following the games instead of working.
Those figures sound alarming, but the consulting company’s CEO, John A. Challenger, says the games “will not even register as a blip” in the economy as a whole. The same is true on an individual company level. “Will March Madness even have an effect on a company’s bottom line? Not at all,” he says.
Got game?
Gambling laws are another area to consider. An office pool in which employees win and lose money is likely to be illegal in most jurisdictions, meaning employers condoning or even just tolerating the practice could face liability. But that doesn’t mean employers have to fight a losing battle to stop the madness. Non-gambling activities can give game fans their bracket fix and do some good at the same time.
Laura Sankovich, founder of The Human Resource, a firm in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, focusing on HR compliance, employment issues, and organizational behavior and performance, says workplace-sanctioned March Madness fun can be beneficial and employers can take the opportunity to get creative.
“Like any kind of policy or event, March Madness should not be a one-size-fits-all sort of approach,” Sankovich says. “Some organizations are very conservative and highly regulated, in which case a celebration around March Madness might not be the best approach. That said, it might be a fun way to introduce a fairly benign team-building activity into the workplace. Departments could compete against one another in creating their own brackets, bringing a little levity to the workplace.”
Of course some employees might not be interested in the games. If the boss allows workers a little goofing off time to watch some of a game, is it acceptable for non-basketball fans to take a long lunch or have some other seasonal downtime?
“Absolutely,” Sankovich says. “It is important for the employer to make March Madness fair and equitable. Maybe a block of time off or even shutting down operations for a few hours can be a way to embrace the celebration, especially when productivity is likely to be lower during certain times anyway.”
Employers do have to take care to keep the fun from getting out of hand, though. “It should be just understood, but employees must remember to still be respectful of one another,” Sankovich says. “Debates about one’s alma mater or the best team in the tournament can get as heated as a political debate during election season. We don’t want to squash the fun, but employees must still be mindful that they are in the workplace and only respectful debates are welcome.”
More ideas
Imaginative managers can come up with all kinds of ways to capitalize on tournament time. For example, an employer may find it beneficial to sponsor a bracket competition in which proceeds go to charity, with the winner naming the charity. Or part of the money can go to charity with the other part going toward snacks for the break room.
Besides polling managers on the effects of March Madness at work, OfficeTeam offers a list of suggestions for employers deciding to embrace the tournament.
- Let employees take breaks to check scores or talk with coworkers about the games. By taking breaks and relaxing with coworkers, employees can recharge.
- Encourage employees to wear their favorite teams’ apparel or decorate their work spaces (within reason).
- Organize an office competition that allows employees to win small items such as gift certificates.
- Make sure managers show a good example by completing assignments before taking a break to watch or talk about a game.
- Communicate policies on taking breaks and Internet use so employees will know what’s acceptable.