Gambling is one of the oldest methods people used to have fun. Ever since it became available online as well, the popularity of this pass-time activity rose even further. However, it’s important to mention that, although it’s great that gambling became so widespread, it caused some issues along the road as well.
Since gambling became so widely spread and easily accessible for everyone, that means that it also became easily reachable to people suffering from gambling addiction. Now, gambling addiction is as detrimental and worrisome as any other addiction, but for some reason, it’s far less talked about.
On top of that, this accessibility also means that gambling is now available any place and at any given moment, which also includes the workplace during workhours. This doesn’t only pose potential issues for the individual in question but for the business in question as well. That said, let’s see how this issue can be approached and what are some of the best ways it can be dealt with.
How to determine if your employees gamble at work?
You may be thinking that if you’ve never wondered whether or not your employees gamble at work, that probably means that the answer is no. However, according to experts, one in every 100 employees do actually gamble at their workplace, on average. That said, the odds that one or more of your employees are doing the same are quite high. Therefore, even if you haven’t noticed any suspicious behavior, it may be a good idea to try and look into this potential issue a bit further.
Talk to your HR
To the majority of people, gambling is nothing more than a harmless pass-time activity. So much so that some workplaces even organize group gambling activities, like poker nights, for instance. But what the majority of people fails to realize is that this type of activity, although seemingly harmless, can have quite negative effects on people suffering from gambling addiction. That’s why every employer should consult their HR practitioners and see how to approach this matter. Ideally, the best course of action is to stop organizing such activities in the workplace altogether. Without even realizing, an employer could open themselves up to be eligible for legal actions against them, if it turns out that one or more of their employees do suffer from this addiction.
How can gambling addiction affect a workplace?
There are many ways gambling addiction can have really negative effects not only on the person suffering from it but everyone around them as well. But tightly relating it to workplace only, there are three major concerns and these include fraud, theft and reduced productivity. Of course, not all three of these are equally bad but all of them can have quite detrimental effect not only on the person but business as well. Here are some examples of hypothetical situations:
Fraud and theft
If an employee has any type of access to company finances, and is suffering from gambling addiction, they may end up either being tempted or actually abusing their position in the workplace and use company resources to fund their addiction. What’s even worse is that this type of situation and behavior can be quite difficult to notice usually until it’s too late and both the person and the business are in too deep.
Reduced productivity
An employee who suffers from gambling addiction and is gambling in the workplace will most likely lack focus and devotion to their job. Additionally, you may notice that they’re always on their phone and/or that they take longer lunch breaks. This problem won’t have as negative effects as the previously mentioned one, but it can still negatively affect a business. This type of behavior is far easier to notice in smaller businesses with less employees but it’s certainly something employers should be on a lookout for.
So, what can be done?
Every employer is obliged by law to provide their employees with a safe working environment. This relates to both physical and mental health. Since gambling addiction was recognized as mental health disorder back in 1980, that means that such activities should not be promoted or encouraged by any workplace. Additionally, as practice shows, it’s always best to keep work life and social life separate, so simply not organizing and encouraging such behavior at the workplace may be the best course of action.
Seek help from your HR
In the end, the HR department is there to somewhat bridge the gap between the employers and the employees. That’s why you should consult your HR practitioners and get them involved in the process of trying to figure out if there’s any troublesome behavior you should know about. For starters, you can have your HR team assess the risk of potential red flags, such as the use of company computers for online gambling. Next, you can have them perform an unannounced productivity check from time to time and see if there’s any problematic behavior that requires attention. Finally, ask your HR team to talk to your employees and try to come up with a clear workplace policy on gambling.
These are just some of the things every employer should keep in mind when trying to run an organized and productive company. The health of your employees should always come first, so make sure you do all in your power not only to provide them with such an environment but also eliminate any potential temptations.
Source: http://hrnews.co.uk/gambling-and-health-in-the-workplace/
