Tackling Pokemon GO at the office

The popular mobile game will need to be managed by employees and employers for the sake of productivity, writes Lauren Salt.

|||

The viral mobile game Pokemon GO might not bring your business to a standstill, but it may very well result in lower productivity.

Read also: Pokemon GO a tough act to follow?

Until the fad subsides, everyone should be mindful of the game’s impact on the workplace and manage the potential risks accordingly.

You will never “catch em all” and never all at once!

Let’s take a quick look at the game:

Pokemon GO is a recently released location-based augmented reality cellphone game developed for iOS and Android devices. Making use of the GPS and cameras of compatible devices, the game allows players to capture, train and battle virtual creatures, called Pokemon, who appear on device screens as though in the real world.

For the uninitiated, the player is on a virtual scavenger hunt for 250 animated creatures, which requires the player to walk around (yes, literally) searching for Pokemon to capture.

Read also: The beginner's guide to Pokemon GO

Pokemon can appear anywhere, which means that if employees have the game open in the workplace, they can pop up, waiting to be captured, on their (or any of their colleagues’) desks, chairs, computers, in a meeting rooms, the canteen or even the bathroom.

Whilst Pokemon can materialise at any place or time, there are specific places in the application (called Poke Stops) that allow the player to collect items, such as eggs and more Poke Balls to capture more Pokemon. These Poke Stops are everywhere, and have even been placed in office parks, encouraging employees to venture away from their workplaces to seek them out.

How do you know whether your employees are catching Pokemon on the job and if they are, how should you deal with it?

Pokemon players are easy to spot based on body language alone. In large groups, they will be there, huddled, heads down and phones up, flicking violently at their screens (probably flinging Poke Balls at Pokemon).

If they’re playing with the augmented reality turned on, you’ll see them moving their phones around like they’re taking a photo, or perhaps more accurately, a chaotic panoramic photo. Like someone reading a map, Pokemon GO players walk with their phone in front of them, turning as they go, to see what might be reflected on the map.

The impact Pokemon GO can have on an employer’s business depends on the type of business the employer runs and the role in which the Pokemon-er is employed.

The app has resulted in vehicle accidents and it is safe to say that you do not want your driver to be playing Pokemon GO while on the road delivering goods.

Employers of Pokemon-ers can be held liable for damage (to property or persons). This is called the principle of vicarious liability, which entitles the so-called victim to recover damages from the employer where the damage was caused by the employee in the course of his duties, during working hours. The principle applies whether the employee caused the damage intentionally or negligently.

Accordingly, if a driver crashes into another driver on the road, while playing Pokemon GO, the driver into whom he crashed would be entitled to recover damages from the Pokemon-er’s employer.

Fortunately, there is only a minimal risk that Pokemon-ers will cause real damage. The more likely scenario is that the employer’s productivity will take a dive.

If employees are playing Pokemon GO at work, especially since it requires the player to move around and change locations, chances are that the employees are not being productive during these times. The game is premised on the player being away from their desk, or even the building, on their scavenger hunt to “catch em all”. So, while playing during a lunch break may be fine, being absent from normal duties will certainly be an issue.

As with any potential work distraction - be it cellphone games, social media or even texting - there is the real need for employees to exhibit a modicum of self-control.

However, equally, employee behaviour needs to be managed.

* Lauren Salt is a senior associate in Baker & McKenzie’s Joburg office, where she focuses on employment law and labour relations.

 

 

Practical steps in managing the game at work

* Address it upfront: You don’t need to “catch em all” before telling employees that playing obsessively during working hours is not acceptable conduct. Make sure that employees know that, as an employer, you are aware of the game and will be taking steps to limit its impact on productivity.

* Set the boundaries: Tell employees what you deem to be acceptable use of the game in the workplace. This might be to limit play to non-working time, which includes lunch, or to ban the use of the app. The employer’s approach should be measured against the potential impact on its business - if the app has gone viral in the workplace and the entire workforce could benefit from PA (Pokemoners Anonymous), then perhaps a “cold turkey” ban would not go amiss.

* Inform employees of the consequences: Alert employees to the fact that when they are found to be flouting the employer’s workplace rules, including neglecting their duties and responsibilities (either intentionally or negligently), disciplinary action will be taken against them. The severity of the misconduct (and whether the employee has been previously disciplined for the same or similar misconduct) should inform the action taken against the employee, including the sanction issued.

Where playing the game results in damage to a person or property, this would likely justify a harsher sanction than where the employee is taking long lunches in order to visit the nearest Poke Stop.

* Set an example: Employers and managers should lead by example. Having double standards for this sort of behaviour may affect team dynamics and potentially morale. In addition, where managers seek to enforce rules to which they do not seem themselves bound, employees are less likely to adhere to them.

In managing Poke mon GO in the workplace, employees should:

* Not play at work: Avoid playing the game at work. Sure you can do so during lunchtime, but if you have a so-called addictive personality, rather avoid playing at work.

* Take the initiative: If your employer hasn’t set down any rules regarding the game, initiate talks with him/her and with your colleagues. It’s better to agree on rules beforehand than deal with consequences later.

It is not only about you playing or not playing - a playing colleague may interfere with your productivity, even if you are a non-player.

THE STAR