Is Fantasy Football Killing Your Employee's Production?

With football season in full swing, people are monitoring their fantasy football teams closely, hoping to win money. Business owners and managers have debated over whether allowing their employees to monitor their fantasy teams at work affects worker productivity. Opinions on the subject differ, but you may be relieved to know that this seasonal obsession could possibly have a positive impact on your employees' production.

According to a study completed by Challenger, Gray, and Christmas, a well-known outplacement firm, approximately 22.3 million people play the popular fantasy sports game, and it costs employers upwards of $6.5 billion per year in productivity and lost time. John Challenger has stated that the Internet has fueled the popularity of the game, making it easy for employees to manage their teams from their desks. While this sounds like a serious situation, even Challenger, Gray, and Christmas admit that this is a very rough, nonscientific, and nonverifiable estimate. In fact, according to John Challenger's blog post on the subject, employers won't see a negative impact on their bottom line, and for the most part, business will proceed as usual, and worker productivity won't be affected. So, the question remains. What should you do to keep your employees productive during the fifteen-week stretch of the fantasy game?

You could implement a companywide policy prohibiting personal use of the Internet at work. However, this would be an extremely difficult policy to enforce, especially with all the smartphones and tablets employees bring to the workplace these days. Also, an across-the-board ban on fantasy sports could backfire, reducing employee morale, worker productivity, and loyalty. Instead, consider taking control of the situation and turning the issue into a positive experience.

Many human resources professionals insist that fantasy sports can have a positive impact on the workplace. According to Terri Dougherty, an associate editor for J.J. Keller & Associates, in moderation, fantasy sports have little impact on the workplace, and when it's controlled properly, the hobby can boost employee morale. Even John Challenger agrees to this assessment and has stated on his blog that employers who allow and encourage employees to indulge in fantasy sports often see significant benefits in morale, worker productivity, and increased employee retention. But, how do you control the situation?

You can use fantasy sports to benefit your team in a number of ways, including:

• Allowing a specific amount of time each Monday for your employees to discuss the weekend results
• Setting up a lunch-and-learn session and bringing in a speaker to discuss fantasy football
• Establishing an office fantasy league as an ongoing team-building exercise

While the argument as to whether fantasy sports increases or decreases worker productivity is sure to continue, the hobby doesn't have to hurt workplace productivity. As long as you control the situation and set boundaries, your employees will appreciate the fact that you trust them to do their job and don't micromanage them. Remember, work doesn't have to be a no-fun zone; when you have happy employees, worker productivity naturally increases.

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