March Madness Comes to Work

If you’ve noticed your employees’ attention flagging a little this week, they just might be struggling with a touch of March Madness. There’s no cure for this short-term, widespread fanaticism over the NCAA basketball tournament, but consider this: A relatively large percentage (41 percent, to be exact) of senior managers polled around the nation believe that indulging the Madness can boost employee morale.

Granted, lost productivity during the three weeks of March Madness is well documented, and this year, consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas estimates that employers stand to lose $1.8 billion in productivity during the first week of the tournament alone. And this year, with free online broadcasts of most games and features like CBS Sports’ “boss button,” designed to quickly conceal an employee’s online game watching, it’s no wonder there’s concern.

Still, a shared interest of this magnitude tends to spark water-cooler conversation among employees, and workplace activities that encourage interaction and enthusiasm can strengthen the bonds of your corporate team. So, think about turning on the TV for periods of sanctioned game watching during work hours, allowing office pools, and, just maybe, letting a brief dip in productivity slide.

Consider it an investment in stress management.

Here are the best Tweets of the week:

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