| There are plenty of reasons not to take a break | | | | short breaks to play games or to take part in other |
| during the day. You just need to make a quick phone | | | | stress-busting activities, companies increase workplace |
| call, or finish up this last report, or update this | | | | satisfaction, improve employee loyalty and stimulate |
| spreadsheet. Working straight through the day can | | | | creativity. These companies are better able to attract |
| sometimes make us feel like we're getting more done, | | | | younger employees, and build better employee bonds. |
| but sometimes the opposite is actually true. | | | | When people love what they do and where they |
| Studies show that "all work and no play" is no good. | | | | work, their productivity improves, when stress is |
| Taking a break during the day alleviates stress and | | | | reduced creativity comes to the forefront, and when |
| refreshes the mind, resulting in greater productivity, | | | | employees build better relationships, everyone from |
| higher levels of accuracy and better overall mental | | | | the ground up benefits. |
| health. | | | | Morning, Noon or Night? |
| Recess for Adults | | | | A recent survey showed that about 40 percent of all |
| A growing number of companies have recognized the | | | | players are white collar, with about a fourth of those |
| benefits of entertainment breaks, where employees | | | | playing games during work "for a break." The biggest |
| are permitted to play games during periodic breaks | | | | contradiction seems to be when game play works the |
| throughout the day. Instead of forbidding or merely | | | | best. Of the 2,842 participants in a recent PopCap |
| tolerating game play, these companies openly | | | | games survey: |
| encourage it. While excessive distractions on the job | | | | - 61% said they play during lunch or other official break |
| can be a problem, playing casual online games at work | | | | periods. |
| for short periods of time can actually leave employees | | | | - 52% said they play "during my work day, when I |
| feeling recharged and better focused. | | | | need a short break." |
| In many cases, casual online games serve as digital | | | | - 19% said they play "at the end of my work day, to |
| stress busters. "As human beings, we cannot think of | | | | unwind." |
| two competing forces at the same time," said Dr. Carl | | | | - 11% said they play "at the beginning of my work day |
| Arinoldo, a Long Island psychologist. "So when a | | | | before I get started." |
| person is thinking about something that is fun and good, | | | | It's not just lower- and mid-level employees getting in |
| the stressful things that are bothering her don't have | | | | on the fun. Senior executives made up 9% of the |
| time to get in. It shuts the door, and gives the person a | | | | survey participants, and of them: |
| mini-vacation." | | | | - 35% of senior executives said they play casual |
| Can Playtime Work for You? | | | | games at work. |
| If you think workplace game play comes with a set of | | | | - 70% said they play "during work, when I need a short |
| rules, you might be surprised that many companies | | | | break." |
| which have incorporated entertainment breaks into the | | | | - 61% said they play once a day or more frequently |
| normal day have found that no additional rules need to | | | | during each work day. |
| be implemented. The people who try to abuse the | | | | - 71% said their typical game-play session at work |
| break time are generally the same ones who were | | | | lasts 15 minutes or longer. |
| already spending half their workday playing games | | | | Everyone needs a chance to decompress during the |
| secretly at their desks. The majority of employees find | | | | day, and playing online games is an ideal solution. After |
| that even a few minutes of approved play time is | | | | all, a happy employee is a valuable employee. So give |
| great for getting the creative juices flowing and keeps | | | | your team members a chance to play a quick game |
| them motivated throughout the rest of the day. | | | | and see how much more productive they become. |
| By entrusting employees with the flexibility to take | | | | |