Goofing off on company time? Go for it

[BlueGin]

(CNN) -- Wish you could play video games at work? How about a happy hour with free drinks every week? Or exercise breaks during the day?

As much as these activities may sound like the opposite of work, companies around the world are starting to integrate them into their environments. The theory is that encouraging "play" at work not only boosts morale but also fosters increased creativity and teamwork, leading to better productivity and quality of work.

You may have heard about the free food and Razor scooters at Google, the famed multistory slide at YouTube, or the climbing wall and yoga classes at Twitter, but it's not just tech companies that are jumping on the trend. Industries from food to marketing are giving it a shot, too. So we couldn't help but wonder: Does the idea of play at work, well, work? And do employees actually take advantage of it?

Goofing off on company time? Go for it - CNN.com

 

[Connery]

(CNN) -- Wish you could play video games at work? How about a happy hour with free drinks every week? Or exercise breaks during the day?

As much as these activities may sound like the opposite of work, companies around the world are starting to integrate them into their environments. The theory is that encouraging "play" at work not only boosts morale but also fosters increased creativity and teamwork, leading to better productivity and quality of work.

You may have heard about the free food and Razor scooters at Google, the famed multistory slide at YouTube, or the climbing wall and yoga classes at Twitter, but it's not just tech companies that are jumping on the trend. Industries from food to marketing are giving it a shot, too. So we couldn't help but wonder: Does the idea of play at work, well, work? And do employees actually take advantage of it?

Goofing off on company time? Go for it - CNN.com

When I had my business I would encourage people to play around on my time, I would also have a company day where I would rent a van and take them to NYC to baseball game and tour of where I grew up get some pizza and then go around NYC.

It was a happy place where a great deal of work was done.

 

[BlueGin]

(CNN) -- Wish you could play video games at work? How about a happy hour with free drinks every week? Or exercise breaks during the day?

As much as these activities may sound like the opposite of work, companies around the world are starting to integrate them into their environments. The theory is that encouraging "play" at work not only boosts morale but also fosters increased creativity and teamwork, leading to better productivity and quality of work.

You may have heard about the free food and Razor scooters at Google, the famed multistory slide at YouTube, or the climbing wall and yoga classes at Twitter, but it's not just tech companies that are jumping on the trend. Industries from food to marketing are giving it a shot, too. So we couldn't help but wonder: Does the idea of play at work, well, work? And do employees actually take advantage of it?

Goofing off on company time? Go for it - CNN.com

When I had my business I would encourage people to play around on my time, I would also have a company day where I would rent a van and take them to NYC to baseball game and tour of where I grew up get some pizza and then go around NYC.

It was a happy place where a great deal of work was done.

Sounds fun.

The company I work for has fun outtings like that once or twice a year. In the past they have rented busses and taken everyone to the casino (doubt they will do that again though...too many drunk nitwits dancing on tables in the bar),Lunch and free enterance to the zoo,Rented movie theatres and let employees watch movies...etc. They also have huge halloween celebrations,company picnics with catered food and a Christmas party. The day to day though? They kind of frown upon goofing off. No logging onto the internet on company time,only allotted break times etc... Of course if they let people goof off...knowing the people I work with...they would abuse it.

 

[Connery]

(CNN) -- Wish you could play video games at work? How about a happy hour with free drinks every week? Or exercise breaks during the day?

As much as these activities may sound like the opposite of work, companies around the world are starting to integrate them into their environments. The theory is that encouraging "play" at work not only boosts morale but also fosters increased creativity and teamwork, leading to better productivity and quality of work.

You may have heard about the free food and Razor scooters at Google, the famed multistory slide at YouTube, or the climbing wall and yoga classes at Twitter, but it's not just tech companies that are jumping on the trend. Industries from food to marketing are giving it a shot, too. So we couldn't help but wonder: Does the idea of play at work, well, work? And do employees actually take advantage of it?

Goofing off on company time? Go for it - CNN.com

When I had my business I would encourage people to play around on my time, I would also have a company day where I would rent a van and take them to NYC to baseball game and tour of where I grew up get some pizza and then go around NYC.

It was a happy place where a great deal of work was done.

Sounds fun.

The company I work for has fun outtings like that once or twice a year. In the past they have rented busses and taken everyone to the casino (doubt they will do that again though...too many drunk nitwits dancing on tables in the bar),Lunch and free enterance to the zoo,Rented movie theatres and let employees watch movies...etc. They also have huge halloween celebrations,company picnics with catered food and a Christmas party. The day to day though? They kind of frown upon goofing off. No logging onto the internet on company time,only allotted break times etc... Of course if they let people goof off...knowing the people I work with...they would abuse it.

There no real abuses that I was aware of. People produced, the clients were happy with the results and the office had a positive outlook. Spouses/significant others were invited to come on those outings.

 

[BlueGin]

One of the things that rang true that the article hinted at is that companies use these techniques as team builders. Which has been stated at my place of employment more than once. I just never saw them as such. In our environment they always just fostered the same cliques of people who hang out at work...to do so offsite. Boring zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

We do have a workout room (use that after hours sometimes)...used to have a big screen TV in the break room set to News also ( Until people almost came to blows over politics...then it was taken away. Oops.)

Edited to add...I also didn't like that they were manditory or you had to take PTO.

 

[Katzndogz]

When I had my business, playing at work was strictly and absolutely forbidden because play time quickly becomes all play, and the employee very quickly loses all respect for the workplace. We had playtime, which was after hours on Friday. Party every week. Once a year we had an excursion. I took them to the Renaissance Faire, Knotts Berry Farm for Scary Farm on Halloween, Disneyland and several other places. Even with that, the next day there was a remarkable lack of discipline that had to be corrected.

 

[Michelle420]

I think it's a good idea, I wouldn't mind putting in extra hours if the work environment encouraged the things mentioned in the article.