It鈥檚 the time of year many employers dread 鈥� March Madness. Productivity often drops significantly when college basketball games are played one after another.
It鈥檚 estimated due to unproductive workers during the span of the NCAA tournament.
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to cheat company time to watch tournament games?
Former Virginia Commonwealth University professor Steve Karau, who is a professor at Southern Illinois University, tells 草莓传媒 it鈥檚 due in part to the or the chance of a university making a surprise run in the men鈥檚 NCAA basketball tournament.
“If you are the fan of a small school in a minor conference, they can get big time notoriety just by winning one or two games,鈥� Karau said, adding that paying attention to the games can also be a fun, bonding activity that makes the workplace more enjoyable and builds morale.
He says employers that are worried about productivity should just be upfront about what they expect.
“‘Hey, folks! I know March Madness is coming up and I know you鈥檙e going to be interested.’ And let them know, based on your environment what you think is appropriate,鈥� he said.
Sixty-eighth million American adults plan to put $15.5 billion into this year鈥檚 NCAA Men鈥檚 Division I Basketball Tournament, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA). And many of those bets are wagered in the workplace.
“[The] fear of missing out draws people in to check on things. They鈥檙e afraid they are not going to know what鈥檚 going on,” he said.
Get your pool ready: D.C.-area fans can watch the Virginia men’s team take on Furman and Maryland take on West Virginia on Thursday. The Maryland women’s team will face Holy Cross and Virginia Tech will host Chattanooga on Friday.
