It’s that time of year again. Football (and fantasy football leagues) is in full swing. Hockey began this week. It may be hard to consider that sports, or even fantasy leagues as a benefit to your employees, but it is a big one.
In the past, studies have suggested that employees spend at least an hour a week managing their fantasy rosters and following sports news. However, we are a long way off from determining the true and accurate impact sports have on employer’s bottom lines.
There are many benefits of the game, whether it be football, hockey, or fantasy leagues, and reasons why you should allow it during business hours, including:
Employee morale. People – both men and women alike – love the game. There are more detrimental social activities such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., that are certainly impacting employees as time-wasters. Sports make people happy. If an employer takes that away from employees, there is sure to be lots of backlash.
Communication among coworkers. Sports talk is bound to enter the office. It opens new doors for communication among employees who may not talk otherwise. Furthermore, inter-office fantasy leagues serve as a catalyst for a level of interaction between employees who may not interact otherwise.
Customer relations and sales. Customer service reps and especially sales reps will often times take the opportunity to reach out to clients to discuss sports updates, opening the door to new business through further building the relationship with them.
Companies who ban sports or even fantasy leagues in the workplace may want to reconsider. 9 out of 10 times employees will figure out a way to participate behind management’s back. Employees who feel that their employer and management trusts them will be more productive on the job.