Problem gambling costs businesses. Gambling addiction can be a problem not only for the person it effects and their loved ones, but also for their employer. A study into the effect of problem gambling at work found that 10% of working adults in the UK have directly experienced the problems gambling can cause in a work/office environment. It also found that more than four in five UK adults think debt and gambling can be a distraction for people in the workplace. While nothing compares to the excitement of seeing your team advance in the tournament, placing a wager on the outcome of a game, for even a small amount of money, is absolutely prohibited in the Federal workplace. Federal rules prohibit employees from gambling while on duty, or while on government-owned or leased property.
This increase in the availability and accessibility of online gambling means gambling in the workplace, and during working hours, is now more possible than ever. This phenomenon is making businesses more vulnerable to issues arising from gambling.
Do your employees gamble at work?
If this question has not occurred to you it probably should according to experts who are concerned about the impact changes in the gambling environment could be having on your workplace.
Experts say with today's smart phones and tablets, punters can bet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from home, 'on the go' and yes, even from work.
And with an estimated one in 100 employees likely to have a gambling problem there is no room for any employer to assume it can't happen to them.
Why should this matter to HR practitioners?
Employees Gambling In The Workplace Behavior
Most of the time gambling is a harmless recreational activity and most workplaces organise social gambling activities like footy tipping and Melbourne Cup sweeps but the changing face of gambling can mean it's becoming more of an issue for workplaces.
Today, employees might be using workplace computers, or company provided tablets and smart phones to gamble.
Whether an employer knows employees are gambling, or even sanctions it, may be a moot point but it might also form the basis for legal action against an employer according to a senior associate in workplace law.
Joel Zyngier, a senior associate with Holding Redlich specialising in workplace law says employers should assume gambling is taking place in their workplace, and take steps to avoid it becoming a problem.
How can out of control gambling affect a workplace?
There are three ways out of control gambling can have an impact on the workplace including: reducing productivity, increasing absence, theft and fraud.
For example:
- An employee who gambles during working hours, using their smart phone to place bets or play online poker, is not focused on work and is not using work time effectively.
- An employee who develops a gambling problem and gambles outside of work hours, for instance on the pokies, may be absent from work more often, taking extended lunch breaks to gamble or even missing parts of or full work days.
- An employee who has a problem with gambling and has access to company finances, may abuse their position in the workplace to fund their gambling addiction. Importantly, those who have done this and been caught are often found to have behaved completely out of character but a study of major court cases between 20082010 identified over $77 million lost, with employers the biggest victims of gambling related crime.
What can employers do?
Every employer in Victoria has a duty of care under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health – both physical and psychological health. But what does this mean in the context of gambling?
According to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a gambling disorder is a behavioural addiction which can result in psychological harm. This psychological harm represents a health and safety risk to employees, creating an obligation on employers to address gambling in the workplace.
To fulfil their duty of care, an employer should eliminate or reduce the likelihood of problem or risky gambling at work, as much as possible.
It makes sense to protect the workplace and the employer against potential legal action, as well as to protect the workplace and employees against the negative impacts outlined above.
Four things HR practitioners can do to reduce the impact of gambling at work?
When addressing gambling in the workplace, HR practitioners can
- Assess the risk. For example, use of workplace computers and digital devices for gambling.
- Adopt a preventative approach by distributing responsible gambling information to all employees.
- Communicate with employees about responsible gambling and provide information about help and support options available.
- Adopt a workplace policy on gambling. This policy should outline what is considered acceptable in the workplace for example: permitting social gambling activities like footy tipping but prohibiting the use of workplace equipment to access online gambling sites.
The policy may be similar to those already developed for the use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace and should be informed by the particular circumstances of each individual workplace.
Gambling addiction is a very serious problem that effects hundreds of thousands of people in the UK. In fact, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the nation's gambling regulatory body, revealed in a 2017 report that approximately 430,000 adults suffer from a serious gambling problem in the United Kingdom and that almost 2 million UK residence are considered at-risk gamblers.
Taking these troubling findings into consideration, it isn't hard to believe that gambling addiction can and does bleed over into the workplace. Pathological gambling addicts have no control over their actions and will feed their addiction anywhere and in spite of the consequences.
However, gambling at work extends beyond employees betting on casino games, card games and sports on their breaks or while they're working. Office gambling also includes office pools and many people argue that this gambling is unethical and has no business in an office environment.
With that in mind, here's a closer look at how gambling can be a serious and costly problem in the workplace.
Office pools – not just harmless fun
Holding office pools during sports tournaments or for other competitive events is a common practice of many companies. In most cases (depending on the jurisdiction), it's not an illegal practice. In fact, many people find it fun, enjoy participating, and argue that it's a great way to build morale and bring people together.
Employees Gambling In The Workplace Violence
However, as a Huffington Post article reveals about this form of gambling within the office, there can be a darker side to these questionably ethical office pools.
For instance, when stakes are high, this could lead to disharmony in the workplace, distract employees from their work and lead to other problems like employment discrimination claims or claims of favouritism.
Office gambling may carry legal risks
Social gambling, like office pools, are often not against the law. However, according to Steve Biddle, shareholder of the Phoenix location of Littler (the largest global employment and labour law practice), this doesn't mean that there is no legal risk involved.
Biddle stated that 'The effects of workplace gambling can include lost time; lost productivity; and theft, fraud and embezzlement.' He explained that even if workplace gambling is not operated or sponsored by the company, there are still several legal risks.
For instance, there was a 2002 case in New Jersey where a manager was arrested and faced up to five years in prison for allegedly taking a 10% cut from an office football pool.
There have also been cases where employees have sued an employer, claiming they lost money in an office pool approved by the employer and that this triggered or caused them to relapse into their gambling addiction.
Problem gambling costs businesses
Gambling addiction can be a problem not only for the person it effects and their loved ones, but also for their employer. A study into the effect of problem gambling at work found that 10% of working adults in the UK have directly experienced the problems gambling can cause in a work/office environment. It also found that more than four in five UK adults think debt and gambling can be a distraction for people in the workplace.
As such, it is important employers understand the type of impact problem gambling can have on their employees and what these problems could cost their business. Employees with gambling problems may be frequently absent from work, have low productivity rates, could have poor mental health, could steal from the company, and bring damage to a company's reputation.
Companies can support employees and protect themselves
If you have a gambling addiction or are worried that an employee or fellow co-worker may have a gambling problem, it is important that you know there is help. There are a number of support groups and socially responsible gaming organisations that can help with this problem.
You'll discover that there are several resources online, such as PlayOJO's responsible gaming guide that can make it easier to find a support network for gambling addiction. Learning about these support groups can help you understand how they work and how they can benefit your specific situation.
For instance, both The National Gambling HelpLine and GamCare offer counselling services that can support a company's current Employee Assistance Programme and offer additional safeguarding. GamCare can even provide training for HR staff and managers to help them identify potential problem gambling behaviours.
Employees Gambling In The Workplace Act
Employees Gambling In The Workplace Behavior
Most of the time gambling is a harmless recreational activity and most workplaces organise social gambling activities like footy tipping and Melbourne Cup sweeps but the changing face of gambling can mean it's becoming more of an issue for workplaces.
Today, employees might be using workplace computers, or company provided tablets and smart phones to gamble.
Whether an employer knows employees are gambling, or even sanctions it, may be a moot point but it might also form the basis for legal action against an employer according to a senior associate in workplace law.
Joel Zyngier, a senior associate with Holding Redlich specialising in workplace law says employers should assume gambling is taking place in their workplace, and take steps to avoid it becoming a problem.
How can out of control gambling affect a workplace?
There are three ways out of control gambling can have an impact on the workplace including: reducing productivity, increasing absence, theft and fraud.
For example:
- An employee who gambles during working hours, using their smart phone to place bets or play online poker, is not focused on work and is not using work time effectively.
- An employee who develops a gambling problem and gambles outside of work hours, for instance on the pokies, may be absent from work more often, taking extended lunch breaks to gamble or even missing parts of or full work days.
- An employee who has a problem with gambling and has access to company finances, may abuse their position in the workplace to fund their gambling addiction. Importantly, those who have done this and been caught are often found to have behaved completely out of character but a study of major court cases between 20082010 identified over $77 million lost, with employers the biggest victims of gambling related crime.
What can employers do?
Every employer in Victoria has a duty of care under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risks to health – both physical and psychological health. But what does this mean in the context of gambling?
According to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a gambling disorder is a behavioural addiction which can result in psychological harm. This psychological harm represents a health and safety risk to employees, creating an obligation on employers to address gambling in the workplace.
To fulfil their duty of care, an employer should eliminate or reduce the likelihood of problem or risky gambling at work, as much as possible.
It makes sense to protect the workplace and the employer against potential legal action, as well as to protect the workplace and employees against the negative impacts outlined above.
Four things HR practitioners can do to reduce the impact of gambling at work?
When addressing gambling in the workplace, HR practitioners can
- Assess the risk. For example, use of workplace computers and digital devices for gambling.
- Adopt a preventative approach by distributing responsible gambling information to all employees.
- Communicate with employees about responsible gambling and provide information about help and support options available.
- Adopt a workplace policy on gambling. This policy should outline what is considered acceptable in the workplace for example: permitting social gambling activities like footy tipping but prohibiting the use of workplace equipment to access online gambling sites.
The policy may be similar to those already developed for the use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace and should be informed by the particular circumstances of each individual workplace.
Gambling addiction is a very serious problem that effects hundreds of thousands of people in the UK. In fact, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), the nation's gambling regulatory body, revealed in a 2017 report that approximately 430,000 adults suffer from a serious gambling problem in the United Kingdom and that almost 2 million UK residence are considered at-risk gamblers.
Taking these troubling findings into consideration, it isn't hard to believe that gambling addiction can and does bleed over into the workplace. Pathological gambling addicts have no control over their actions and will feed their addiction anywhere and in spite of the consequences.
However, gambling at work extends beyond employees betting on casino games, card games and sports on their breaks or while they're working. Office gambling also includes office pools and many people argue that this gambling is unethical and has no business in an office environment.
With that in mind, here's a closer look at how gambling can be a serious and costly problem in the workplace.
Office pools – not just harmless fun
Holding office pools during sports tournaments or for other competitive events is a common practice of many companies. In most cases (depending on the jurisdiction), it's not an illegal practice. In fact, many people find it fun, enjoy participating, and argue that it's a great way to build morale and bring people together.
Employees Gambling In The Workplace Violence
However, as a Huffington Post article reveals about this form of gambling within the office, there can be a darker side to these questionably ethical office pools.
For instance, when stakes are high, this could lead to disharmony in the workplace, distract employees from their work and lead to other problems like employment discrimination claims or claims of favouritism.
Office gambling may carry legal risks
Social gambling, like office pools, are often not against the law. However, according to Steve Biddle, shareholder of the Phoenix location of Littler (the largest global employment and labour law practice), this doesn't mean that there is no legal risk involved.
Biddle stated that 'The effects of workplace gambling can include lost time; lost productivity; and theft, fraud and embezzlement.' He explained that even if workplace gambling is not operated or sponsored by the company, there are still several legal risks.
For instance, there was a 2002 case in New Jersey where a manager was arrested and faced up to five years in prison for allegedly taking a 10% cut from an office football pool.
There have also been cases where employees have sued an employer, claiming they lost money in an office pool approved by the employer and that this triggered or caused them to relapse into their gambling addiction.
Problem gambling costs businesses
Gambling addiction can be a problem not only for the person it effects and their loved ones, but also for their employer. A study into the effect of problem gambling at work found that 10% of working adults in the UK have directly experienced the problems gambling can cause in a work/office environment. It also found that more than four in five UK adults think debt and gambling can be a distraction for people in the workplace.
As such, it is important employers understand the type of impact problem gambling can have on their employees and what these problems could cost their business. Employees with gambling problems may be frequently absent from work, have low productivity rates, could have poor mental health, could steal from the company, and bring damage to a company's reputation.
Companies can support employees and protect themselves
If you have a gambling addiction or are worried that an employee or fellow co-worker may have a gambling problem, it is important that you know there is help. There are a number of support groups and socially responsible gaming organisations that can help with this problem.
You'll discover that there are several resources online, such as PlayOJO's responsible gaming guide that can make it easier to find a support network for gambling addiction. Learning about these support groups can help you understand how they work and how they can benefit your specific situation.
For instance, both The National Gambling HelpLine and GamCare offer counselling services that can support a company's current Employee Assistance Programme and offer additional safeguarding. GamCare can even provide training for HR staff and managers to help them identify potential problem gambling behaviours.
Employees Gambling In The Workplace Act
Employees Gambling In The Workplace Against
The bottom line is that gambling addiction can affect any business and can be a real problem in the workplace. Employers need to be aware that even the most well-intended gambling activity meant to be fun, still carries a certain amount of risk.
