All Bets Are Off
“Maryanne, got a minute? I wanted to give you an update,” said a grinning Kyle, my employee relations manager. I motioned him to come in.
“Remember last year how we struggled to keep the staff focused on their work during March Madness, since parts of the tournament take place during working hours, and productivity takes a hit?”
“I sure do,” I sighed. “The NCAA basketball tournament can be a major distraction, not only in the office, but in our restaurants as well. If I remember correctly, you had a plan. I do want to hear how it’s going.”
Even though Kings, like so many organizations, had a policy prohibiting gambling, many pools were organized in our departments and restaurants for years, and most managers kind of looked the other way. Some were even involved in them.
We decided to take a novel approach after my friend, Jason, shared a story that added fuel to the fire. A company’s employees organized a significant pool that selected winners for each game and predicted the national championship. There was even a tie breaker to predict the final score. It cost $10 a bracket to join, and a lot of people did, so the pot was significant.
The person who set up the pool and collected the money couldn’t produce the winnings. The employees who lost money complained to HR. The thing is, this company had a strict no-gambling policy, and they did enforce it. HR reminded the complainers that everyone who participated violated the policy, and asked what they thought the company should do. That apparently was the end of it, at least as far as that company was concerned.
When I shared that story with Kyle, he reminded me that people often participate in these pools for the fun of it and for the bragging rights if you win. So, he came up with an idea to organize company-sponsored pools with no cost to enter, and give winners in certain categories prizes—maybe gift cards or Kings-themed merchandise. This would get around the ethical or legal issues surrounding gambling on company property, but also create some buzz in the building.
“Well, Maryanne,” he said, “For our office staff, both headquarters and regional offices, we let people know that the monitors in the break rooms will be tuned to the games, but asked that they not live-stream games on their own devices. People are encouraged to wear team colors, and host tailgating parties in the cafeteria to add to the festive spirit. These ideas may not keep our productivity as high as usual, but should go a long way toward building morale and draw those employees who work from home most days into the office.”
“That’s great, but what about the restaurants?”
“Even though we’re not a sports bar, many of our staff and customers are avid fans. So, we’re arranging to show it on monitors in select locations this year, especially those near colleges. The rest of the pools will remain the same—no costs to enter and prizes chosen locally. Wait staff can wear team jerseys rather than a Kings shirt. Most of the restaurants have chosen to participate.”
“Kyle, thanks for taking the lead on this. You know, work is serious stuff, but there’s nothing wrong with lightening things up from time to time. And it will be interesting to see if business increases at those locations that will be showing the games.”
Maryanne Robertson
If you want to know more about Maryanne, Kyle, Jason and the challenges they face, pick up a copy of They Did What?