Indianapolis — As the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament begins this week, so, too, does the annual debate about its effects on the workplace. Almost half (45 percent) of all Americans fill out a tournament bracket, and office pools will lead to an estimated $1.8 billion in lost productivity this year.

But some people believe the tournament helps workplace morale. “People actually have a fun time with it, and it may boost productivity and revenue in the long run,” said psychiatrist Dr. Robert Sobut.

Workplace expert John Challenger said, “With worker stress and anxiety heightened, a little distraction could be just what the doctor ordered.”

Social-networking sites such as Facebook are another target of lost workplace productivity. Last week, Facebook received more hits than Google for the first time ever. Many of those hits are coming from employees who should be working instead.

The use of social-networking sites in an office environment “is clearly becoming a productivity black hole,” said consultant Philip Wicks.

Surveys show that U.S. employees waste about 20 percent of each working day. In a Reuters survey, 34 percent of respondents said personal Internet use was atop their list of time-wasting activities at work.

Reasons employees gave for wasting time included boredom (18 percent), too long hours (14 percent), being underpaid (12 percent), and a lack of challenging work (11 percent).

As with basketball, some people say using social-networking sites at work can boost productivity. Professor Brent Coker said zoning out for a bit can be helpful. “Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the Internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a day’s work.”

Sources: foxnews.com, cbs2.com, webpronews.com, techdirt.com

Discussion Questions:

• How do you feel about following basketball or using social-networking sites during work hours? Do they hurt or help employee productivity, and why? Are they well-deserved breaks or forms of stealing? Explain.

• Should employees do only company business on the clock, or do they deserve some personal time? If so, how much?

• How important is good morale among employees? What lengths should employers be willing to go to in order to keep that morale high?

• Should employers keep tabs on what their workers are doing at all times? Should they prohibit or block access to time-wasters that are tempting to workers? Why or why not?

• Do you tend to waste time at work? If so, how and why? How would your work habits change if your employer started checking up on you?

• What types of work tasks do you find most and least fulfilling, and why? If you were paid more at your job, do you think you’d be less inclined to waste time? Why or why not?

• Which is worse, in your opinion: being bored or being too busy? Explain. What are some ways to cope with each situation?

• Do you consider time to be a gift? Do you consider rest to be a gift? Explain. Do you ever feel guilty for wasting time or resting? Explain.

Scripture links: Proverbs 12:11, Proverbs 14:23, Matthew 20:1-16, Romans 13:7, Ephesians 6:5-9, and James 5:1-6.

Stephanie Martin is a freelance writer and editor in Colorado.