48 per cent of workers say gambling is affecting workplace productivity
Gambling at work policy sometimes has something to do with that, which could be argued is a good or a bad thing. Depending on your point of view. Anyway, I've been thinking about something recently and wondering if there's a way to place workplace ‘behaviour' bets in real life? Commentary Gambling at Work: Everybody Out of the (Office) Pool Super Bowl LIII is right around the corner, and March Madness will be upon us in the blink of an eye.
More than two-thirds (66 per cent) of callers into the Chicago-based employee assistance program Bensinger, DuPont & Associates (BDA) throughout March indicated that employees gamble in their workplace. And, nearly half (48 per cent) of the callers report gambling negatively affects workplace productivity.
'While problem gambling isn't always the first thing that comes to mind when an employee displays problems at work, employers need to better understand the addiction and how to spot warning signs,' says Isabelle Duguay, co-ordinator of gambling services for Bensinger, Dupont & Associates.
The American Psychological Association, which classifies compulsive gambling as a mental health disorder, estimates two to four per cent of Americans have an active gambling problem. Research also shows that the incidence of problem gambling doubles with the presence of another addiction, like alcohol or substance abuse.
'Given these findings, it's clear that if left untreated, a gambling problem can eventually turn a valuable employee into a liability,' said Duguay.
As gambling becomes increasingly acceptable in society, employers need to be aware of the following signs of problem gambling:
• Preoccupation with gambling (reliving past gambling experiences, planning the next venture or thinking of ways in which to gamble)
• Needing to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement
• Lying to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling
• Suggestions by others that the person might have a gambling problem
• Bragging about wins but not talking about losses
• Pay is requested in lieu of vacation time, large blocks of vacation time are not taken
• Frequently borrows money, argues with co-workers about money that is owed to them
• Complains about mounting debts
• Experiences mood swings, often related to winning and losing streaks
Taking a proactive stance will help organizations reduce the potential negative effects that problem gambling can have in the workplace. Duguay suggests the following steps:
• Create a workplace gambling policy: Only one-third of callers into BDA's EAP reported having a policy on workplace gambling. A clear, consistently applied policy defining what activities are prohibited and permitted can go a long way toward ensuring workplace gambling does not spin out of control.
• Provide awareness training: Without awareness, problem gambling will not be detected. The signs of a gambling problem are seldom identified as gambling related. Training can help employees and employers recognize the warning signs and be prepared to offer appropriate assistance.
• Make problem gambling counseling available: Problem gambling is a serious mental health disorder that needs immediate and appropriate attention.
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The best advice for office pools is to keep betting 'in': informal, infrequent and insignificant. That way you won't invite unwanted guests - a category that includes the police and people that you know can't pay up.
by Jessica Zimmer
updated July 17, 2014 · 4min read Body language poker face.
It's March Madness, and you are down to the last few seconds of a game. Your office manager takes your last-minute bet as Arizona makes a run for the basket. But, is more than the pool at risk?
Are you safe?
Latest stories
The best advice for office pools is to keep betting 'in': informal, infrequent and insignificant. That way you won't invite unwanted guests - a category that includes the police and people that you know can't pay up.
by Jessica Zimmer
updated July 17, 2014 · 4min read Body language poker face.
It's March Madness, and you are down to the last few seconds of a game. Your office manager takes your last-minute bet as Arizona makes a run for the basket. But, is more than the pool at risk?
Are you safe?
Not in Wisconsin. It does not matter how much was in the pot - state law prohibits placing bets. There the offense is a Class B misdemeanor.
Gambling Policy In The Workplace Behavior
Office pools are legal in most states, though there are a number of exceptions, including Hawai'i, Florida and Illinois. There are three questions that you should ask before you set up a pool to determine whether the pool is legal.
Gambling Policy In The Workplace Violations
First, does your state allow informal sports betting? It is safest to confine your betting pool to persons and a location situated within a state that permits the pool. Taking bets across state lines can tangle the taking and disbursement of proceeds. In addition, take care that your activities fit within the scope of local county or city ordinances regarding betting pools. Local authorities generally do not take the time to investigate businesses that do not have a license to organize gambling activities. But businesses with a liquor license are more open to the public. Bars, restaurants and stores also present more opportunities for gambling than other establishments. Police are more likely to hear about pools at places with a liquor license and so may check on them for illegal activity on a regular basis.
Is your game safe? Bets on NCAA basketball matches, as on other amateur sports, are out of the question unless you are in Nevada.
Second, is your game safe? Bets on NCAA basketball matches, as on other amateur sports, are out of the question unless you are in Nevada. Congress, however, is currently considering foreclosing Nevada's exclusion through the pending Student Athlete Protection Act, a follow-up to the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA). Although football squares for professional teams may be a good choice, it is never harmless to bet on a co-worker's personal or work-related activities. Such pools may violate employment laws. They are likely to open up the company to civil suits for employment discrimination and sexual harassment.
Third, does your pool follow common sense rules? If police are tipped off to the pool, they will first examine the amount of money and people involved. If the numbers start to get out of hand, so does their investigation. That goes double if the pools are held often and your business brings people out of the office into the pool. A pool that involves minors is always suspect. So is a pool where the house receives a cut. Setting up a pool through the Internet can pose problems. A temporary website can be classified as an online betting site if it appears that your business is regularly engaged in setting up pools. If you want to pay out people through an Internet payment site, you will need to ask the site whether it allows this practice for residents of your state. PayPal, for example, does not allow New York residents to use the site for online gambling, and will go so far as to alert New York law enforcement officials if the site is used improperly.
The last question that you will want to ask is whether an office pool is against company rules. Just because the pool is legal does not mean you will not get fired for running it.
Office pools are tricky to monitor not only because they are private activities, but because states have different definitions of gambling.
Hawai'i allows 'social gambling' in which a person receives his own winnings and persons compete on equal terms, but not activities in which people earn money for promoting gambling.
Gambling Policy In The Workplace Violence
States treat certain games such as bingos and lotteries differently, and may not consider them to be gambling if they are run by charities.
The best way to make sure that your office pool is legal is to read state and local statutes regarding gambling before the fact. Then set up a pool that is fair, accountable, and does not involve ambiguous paperwork. If you plan to award substantial amounts of money through the pool, and especially if there is paperwork that can be traced to your company, inform participants that gambling winnings should be reported on IRS forms. Finally, be aware that employees and businesses may be held liable for wrongful activity even if you write out documents that appear to absolve persons and entities from responsibility.
Gambling Policy In The Workplace Act
The best advice for office pools is to keep betting 'in': informal, infrequent and insignificant. That way you won't invite unwanted guests - a category that includes the police and people that you know can't pay up.
