I’m betting that if business owners check their numbers at the beginning of April, they’ll probably find their productivity levels may have slipped a bit in March. Before managers start worrying about the market or anything else business-related, the answer may be quite simply that your office has suffered from a case of March Madness.
Twenty percent of employees know exactly what I’m talking about. If you’re a guy, twenty-seven percent of you and if you’re a girl, thirteen percent of you may need to consider taking down those brackets you copied with your company’s copier and taped or pinned to your walls and replace them with the workflow charts, schedules and time sheets that normally make up the decor of your office space.
Now, if productivity numbers are really down, businesses may need to consider that a recent survey from CareerBuilder of 7,000 workers found that one-in-ten employees actually watched March Madness games while at work and 17% spent at least an hour a day checking scores while on the clock.
While there is something to said for the camaraderie, spirit and team building aspects of the office’s participation in the exciting NCAA college basketball tournament each year, it should relieve a number of CEO’s and CFO’s especially that when March wagering and office pools are over, April will probably be a banner month for companies (if March took a dip), at least until Spring break and vacation season come around.