Employees And Bosses Both Admit Playing Video Games At Work

Work is work and fun is fun and never the twain shall meet, right?

Wrong.

It turns out a growing number of employees have found a way to make their 9-5 drudgery a lot more livable by taking advantage of technology. What are they doing while they’re supposed to be toiling for the company? Playing video games.

According to an online survey of nearly 3,000 gainfully employed people, nearly one in four – or about 24 percent – admit that they fool around with a game either on their computer or on their portable devices during office hours. And those who think their bosses will disapprove won’t be going to the next level. It turns out executives are among the worst offenders, with 35 percent of those in charge confessing they’re game to play something other than office politics as they sit behind that corporate door.

And if you think that’s surprising, check this – while most admitted they at least waited until their lunch hour or a break to challenge themselves with the sometimes addictive activity, at least 14 percent conceded they compete during boring business meetings or on conference calls.

Should execs be upset by the trend – at least, when they’re not guilty of it themselves? The answer may surprise you. Just about all of those asked claim taking a game break during the day helps them better handle stress on the job and strengthens their memory, letting them actually perform better when they put their mind back on their business.

“We’re seeing employees who are much more technologically savvy and familiar with all forms of new media from social networking to blogging and beyond,” explains Carly Drum, who runs an executive recruitment firm. “So, it’s natural that some business executives would also look to casual videogames that they can play on their PC, mobile phone or BlackBerry during a work break, as a way to quickly relax and recharge their batteries, so to speak.”

Most of those taking part were white collar workers, who are more likely to have access to a desk job and a computer at work. Cynthia Whitehead is a lawyer who often leaves the legalese behind. “After a long day of writing laws for formerly communist countries, the siren song of Bejeweled will beckon and I’ll find myself unwinding with a few levels of gem-swapping,” she reveals.

So the next time your bosses find you whiling away the hours playing when you should be working, don’t panic. They may be doing the same thing behind their own doors. And getting caught may not mean it’s ‘game over’ for your job.

Survey Highlights

84%: Play casual games at work for between 15 and 60 minutes every day, on average, and felt “more relaxed and less stressed out” afterwards.

79%: Play at work several times a week or more.

61%: Play during lunch or other official break periods.

53%: Play at work at least once a day.

52%: Play “during my work day, when I need a short break” and feel “more confident, more energetic, more productive and/or more mentally focused” as a result.

19%: Play “at the end of my work day, to unwind.”

14%: Play casual games during business meetings or conference calls, with 65% saying they did so at least once a month.

11%: Play “at the beginning of my work day before I get started.”

11%: Played casual games at work for an hour or more each day.

Source: Popcap.com

Photo credit: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images