(Published September 8, 2008)
What I really mean is, is your workplace ready for the effects of the football season on employees? Even if you're not a fan, there's no way you couldn't know the NFL football season kicked off last week. Surely you've seen the signs around your workplace.
You might have noticed employees with dark circles under their eyes and a lethargic gait. They could be the ones who stayed up past their bedtime to catch the end of a game. Or perhaps they started tailgating at the crack of noon and drank their way through the game and are left with a raging hangover. Or, they could be bleary-eyed from watching the 1:00 game, the 4:00 game, then the 8:00 game, plus the highlights of the games they missed on ESPN. You may also notice other employees speaking in soft tones around these folks and nudging them when they start nodding off during a meeting. Get them a cup of joe and some aspirin, stat!
Once these employees have had enough coffee, beware the caffeinated chatterboxes. There's no shortage of football topics to be discussed. Before games, employees must debate the week's match-ups. After games, there's got to be some Monday-morning quarterbacking. In between, there will be employees trash-talking their rivals, and lamenting trades and injuries. Just be sure these enthusiastic sports fans don't start screaming matches or come to blows.
Speaking of trades…Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported that approximately 13.6 million Americans play fantasy football each year, and they spend an average of nearly 1.19 hours per week researching and managing their teams at the office. Let's hope they're doing this on their coffee breaks.
It's a safe bet that some employees are betting not only online, but also in the office. No-gambling policies are probably one of the least enforced rules in workplaces across the country, especially this time of year. It's one of the dirty little secrets of American workplaces. Not many HR folks will publicly admit that they look the other way when their employees (including management, oftentimes) organize office pools.
Of course I'm not advocating allowing employees to goof (or nod) off, but the fallout from the football season isn't all bad. The camaraderie that is built among employees with a shared interest is worth the work time that may get eaten up in the process. The way I see it is, employees are going to spend some work time on personal matters anyway, whether it's to call their significant other, e-mail a friend, or talk to their colleagues about football. Any good employer understands that there must be some allowance for mental breaks during the workday, as long as it does not get out of hand.
So, are you ready for some football? There's another 16 weeks to go, and that doesn't include the playoffs.
Gloria Ju
Editor in Chief
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