Detroit Free Press

Madness marches into work

BY MARGARITA BAUZA
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

March 13, 2006

Starting today, Matt Friedman will schedule his work meetings around March Madness. Scratch that, he organizes his calendar around Syracuse University's game schedule.

His verve for everything Syracuse (yes, his alma mater) has spread throughout his office. Coworkers monitor games closely so they can anticipate his mood.

The NCAA basketball tournament has more appeal than other sporting events, which makes it more widespread in the workplace, he said.

"You don't have to know that much about basketball," he said, adding that most people have some kind of affiliation with a college team.

"And you don't need to bet. For me, it's more about bragging rights than anything," said Friedman, part owner of the Farmington Hills public relations company Marx Layne & Co.

Now that the brackets are set, it's time for office pools, frequent huddles by the conference room television and logging on to ESPN.com to check scores -- several times a day.

It's time for nonstop analysis around the water cooler. It's time for chats with college friends on the phone. And it's time for lost productivity.

There are sure to be more scenes in Friedman's office like the one last week. He forced coworkers to watch the ending of the Syracuse-Connecticut game, which overlapped with a staff meeting when it went into overtime.

"The account team had to multitask and watch the game with me," said Friedman, 34, of West Bloomfield. He's playing in two pools this month, so he'll be busy. "Work is kind of a nice diversion, I guess."

Some say the losses are hefty -- $3.8 billion over the 16 days of the tournament.

For every 13.5 minutes workers spend on the Internet watching March Madness games, which are to begin Thursday, the cost to employers in lost wages alone exceeds $237 million, said James Pedderson, director of public relations for the Chicago-based outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. The firm releases similar productivity figures for other major sporting events.

"There's always something distracting workers, and this is just one more thing," Pedderson said.

"I think basketball fans will take advantage of CBS full-streaming games on the Internet," he said. "We're putting the numbers out to illustrate how much sports and events like this insert themselves into our workplaces. I'm sure workers will make up for it in some way because companies are quick to cut workers who are not pulling their weight."

Other workplace experts said office pools and the bonding that occurs over the games is good for morale.

Having a little bit of fun at work pays off, said Diane Swanson, management professor and founding chair of the business ethics education initiative at Kansas State University.

"It's a boost to morale. People have a sense of bonding, an added sense of purpose, and that impacts productivity."

"It's too bad that it's illegal," she said, referring to taking part in an office pool in which money is exchanged.

"Wages lost from a loss in productivity is a fairly serious matter," Swanson added. "But I think what might be overlooked is how employees might be making up the work.

"My secretary stays after work sometimes to get work done, and that isn't paid."

For Detroiter Matthew Dunn, who participates in a pool at work every year, it's not about the money.

"Honestly, I just enjoy sports. If I can win, that's good, but I just enjoy the games," he said. His workplace pool at a Chrysler plant includes about 30 other guys.

"I don't want Duke to win," said Dunn, 24. "I like U Conn. They're a dynasty in college sports, and I really like the coach. They're a fun team to watch.

"I won one time. It was a small pot, about $500. That was the year Michigan State won."

Contact MARGARITA BAUZA at 313-222-6823 or mbauza@freepress.com.

Copyright © 2006 Detroit Free Press Inc.