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3 Employer Tips for Making the Most of March Madness

Megan Rybak / March 10, 2017 March 10, 2017

March Madness, the anticipated annual basketball tournament, is right around the corner! Soon, workplaces large and small throughout the U.S will be experiencing bouts of cheers, groans, and money exchanging in the break room. March Madness leaks into the workplace during the three weeks of the tournament more than almost any other sporting event, with a vast majority of the games taking place during the workday. This distraction can make a huge impact on your productivity, for better or worse.

Check out this article on how March Madness impacts productivity.

Exude has put together a game plan for how your organization can make the most of March Madness and turn it into a morale-boosting exercise. Consider the following strategies:

• Invite your employees to wear team jerseys, t-shirts, or colors. Encourage the excitement. When you do so, there’s a strong chance that it will saturate your employee’s work, increasing productivity over the course of the tournament.

• Organize a friendly contest or office pool with no entry fee to build camaraderie and discourage employees from operating their own, potentially illegal pools. Consider providing the winner with a donation to the charity of their choice for example.
  • With any type of pool, bracket, or contest that may involve exchanges of money in the office, it’s important to address issues relating to gambling or solicitation ahead of time. You will likely have a policy that prohibits gambling and solicitation in the workplace, so consider sponsoring a contest with a non-monetary reward, like a day off or a telecommuting option!

• Really celebrate the tournament by providing a two-hour long lunch on one Friday of the tournament, either catered or potluck. Encourage team building by taking pictures, decorating the office, filling out brackets for fun, or even playing a few games of mini-basketball.

Why not consider giving your employees a break from a monotonous work schedule, and celebrate the Madness at your place of business?!