Each year March Madness results in the reprimand of employees around the nation for breaking company policy. As we near this year’s tip-off Randstad is offering some tips to help employees keep their jobs during the games.
Randstad tip #1: Know your office Internet Policy
Companies are becoming more aggressive in their patrolling of Internet usage.
Many of the opening round games are during work hours. These games will be streamed on Yahoo! Game Channel and other Internet sites, becoming an easy lure for basketball fans. Randstad says, “it’s an easy temptation to catch a few minutes here and there of the games via streaming video. But a few minutes can easily turn into a big chunk of time before you know it.”
The solution: Randstad recommends scheduling your morning and afternoon breaks to get caught up on the scores instead.
Randstad tip #2: Take a Vacation
This is an option for the serious fan. If you are able to take vacations in one-day or half-day increments, consider this as a way you can comfortably watch the games without fear of a supervisor or system department monitor catching you.
Randstad tip #3: Careful Not To Ruffle Feathers
This Randstad tip is as much for peer perception as it is about supervisors. As Randstad points out, “Spending too much time emailing and talking about the games could be perceived as not pulling your share of the workload, which could lead to resentment by co-workers who aren’t following the tournament as closely.”
This is true even if you are discussing the games with a supervisor. Others will resent your getting a “special privilege” by having some slack-off time while they are working, particularly if they are not adept in basketball lingo or aware of the teams and players involved.
Randstad cautions that awareness of your supervisors and co-workers is the key to escaping this downfall during the games. Make sure you pay attention to their actions and reactions to your conversations and actions during March Madness.
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