Nearly half of U.S. workers (49 percent) have participated in an office pool and nearly one quarter (23 percent) have watched or followed sports events on the computer while at work, according to the latest Spherion® Workplace Snapshot survey conducted by Harris Interactive®. Employer policy may be a loose ball, however, with half of U.S. workers (50 percent) saying their employer does not have a policy regarding office pools, and 41 percent reporting they do not know or are not sure.
 
The survey also found that 10 percent of U.S. workers have called in sick to watch or attend, or as a result of watching or attending, a sports event—with men twice as likely as women to have done so (14 percent vs. seven percent). Men are also twice as likely (30 percent vs. 14 percent) to have watched or followed sports events on the computer while at work, and more men participate in office pools than women (55 percent vs. 43 percent).
 
“Considering these survey findings, and with March Madness in full swing, U.S. companies could really take a hit in terms of productivity,” said Nancy Halverson, vice president of talent management for Spherion. “However, it’s also a concern that nearly 91 percent of U.S. workers say either their employer doesn’t have a policy regarding office pools or they aren’t sure.”
 
Halverson says this should be a tip-off for employers who do not want to condone or encourage such pools at work. “Some employers may not be concerned about office pools. But, for those who are apprehensive about potential productivity losses or distractions that can result from office pools, the first step in sidelining the practice is to clearly communicate the company’s policy about it.”
 
Other results from the most recent Spherion Workplace Snapshot Survey:
 
Not for rookies: The older workers are, the more likely they are to have participated in an office pool.

·    The survey finds that only 11 percent of workers aged 18 to 24 have participated in an office pool, compared to 77 percent of workers 65 and older.
·    Thirty-six percent of workers aged 25 to 29 have participated in an office pool, compared to 53 percent of workers aged 30 to 39, 56 percent aged 40 to 49, and 57 percent aged 50 to 64.  This may be a result of longer careers and more time in the workplace.
·    Almost half of surveyed workers have participated in an office pool at one time or another (49 percent).
 
Playing without a rulebook?

·         Half of U.S. workers (50 percent) say their employer does not have a policy regarding office pools.
·         Four in ten (41 percent) either don’t know, or are not sure whether their employer has such a policy.
·         Only 10 percent say that their employer does have a policy regarding office pools.
 
No timeout: Most workers have never called in sick to watch or attend, or as a result of watching or attending, a sports event.

·         Fully 90 percent of U.S. workers say they have never called in sick for this reason, compared to 10 percent who have.
·         Workers aged 25 to 29 represented the largest percentage (at 13 percent) of those who have called in sick to watch or attend, or as a result of watching or attending, a sports event.
·         Workers 65 and older are the least likely to have called in sick to watch or attend a sports event, with only four percent having done so.
 
Technical foul: Almost one-quarter of workers have watched or followed sports events on the computer while at work.

·         While 77 percent of U.S. workers say they have never watched or followed sports events on the computer while at work, 23 percent have done so.
·         Workers aged 30 to 39 are most likely to have watched or followed sports events on the computer while at work (32 percent).
·         Workers 65 and older are the least likely to have done so (four percent).
 

Methodology
The March 2007 Spherion® Workplace Snapshot is based on data from the Harris Interactive® QuickQuerySM online omnibus conducted monthly by Harris Interactive on behalf of Spherion Corporation. A U.S. sample of 1,161 employed adults, aged 18 years and older, was interviewed in a poll conducted February 20-22, 2007. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, education and region were weighted where necessary to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting adjusted for respondents' propensity to be online.
 
With pure probability samples, with 100 percent response rates, it is possible to calculate the probability that the sampling error (but not other sources of error) is not greater than some number. With a pure probability sample of 1,161 U.S. employed adults one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- three percentage points. However, that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.  
 
About Spherion
Spherion Corporation (NYSE:SFN) is a leading recruiting and staffing company that provides integrated solutions to meet the evolving needs of companies and job candidates. As an industry pioneer for more than 60 years, Spherion has screened and placed millions of individuals in
temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time jobs. Positions range from administrative and light industrial to a host of professions that include accounting/ finance, information technology, engineering, manufacturing, legal, human resources and sales/marketing.
 
With approximately 650 locations in the United States and Canada, Spherion delivers innovative workforce solutions that improve business performance. Spherion provides its services to more than 8,000 customers, from Fortune 500 companies to a wide range of small and mid-size organizations. Employing 375,000 people annually through its network, Spherion is one of North America’s largest employers.
 
To learn more, visit www.spherion.com. For up-to-date career tips and trends, visit Spherion’s career blog, The Big TimeSM, at www.spherion.com/careerblog.
 
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides research-driven insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what could conceivably be the world’s largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in France and through a global network of independent market research firms. The service bureau, HISB, provides its market research industry clients with mixed-mode data collection, panel development services as well as syndicated and tracking research consultation. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com.
 
To become a member of the Harris Poll Online, visit http://go.hpolsurveys.com/PR.