Among the most anticipated sports events of the year, the 2025 NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament, aka “March Madness,” is officially underway. While employees are finalizing their brackets, employers should make it clear what is acceptable and unacceptable for watching and participating in March Madness.
From now until the crowning championship games on April 6 (women’s) and April 7 (men’s), millions of college basketball enthusiasts nationwide will be glued to their screens — and without a doubt, many will be watching during work hours. Unlike other major sporting spectacles, such as the Super Bowl or NBA Finals, the NCAA Championship series is played out over the course of weeks, with games played every day, virtually all day — so be aware of the potential for accompanying distractions and productivity loss.
These distractions can potentially add up to a mind-blowing $20 billion in lost productivity across the country, according to a 2025 Action Network report. This may be due to 40 percent of the 3,000 survey respondents admitting to calling in sick to watch the tournament, and 23 percent spending four or more hours per day following the action.
To help manage this workplace distraction, employers can control Internet usage time and the ability of employees to stream games to their work systems. They also should reinforce their policies regarding what’s acceptable and unacceptable for workplace Internet use. Encourage employees to turn off their phones and record their favorite teams’ games and advise them not to watch games live while at work — in office or otherwise — without authorization.
Finally, given the repercussions for engaging in illegal sports gambling, employers must be mindful of illegal activity occurring under their roof and avoid encouraging any form of gambling for financial gain. By sending a memo out about gambling during March Madness (or other major sporting events) you can help put an end to office cash pools and show that your company doesn’t tolerate illegal activities at work. Be consistent — don’t forbid March Madness bracket pools but allow baby shower pools (e.g. guess the due date).
Mike McCluskey, Senior Technical Editor, CalChamber
Gambling is currently illegal in California. Read CalChamber’s free white paper on Four Ways Employers Can Combat Workplace Gambling to make sure you know what to avoid (CalChamber members can read the white paper here). Not a member? Learn how to power your business with a CalChamber membership.
