We're going to have to file this one in the "grain of salt" folder, but Popcap games, maker of the landmark casual game sensation Bejeweled, among scads of others, has published a report claiming that employers who ban internet use or social networking sites can cost British businesses up to $4 billion each year. Furthermore, a 10-minute videogame break can increase efficiency and morale. According to psychometric trial results, casual games have the best effect on workplace morale and efficiency, as compared to social networking and casual internet browsing.
“The research shows that far from distracting employees from their work, e-breaks actually serve to increase staff efficiency and morale, benefitting UK businesses,” PopCap says.
Enterprise Management Quarterly (gripping read, I assure you) reports that San Francisco casual games company Kongregate receives most of their traffic around 1 p.m., which subsequently drops off at around 5 p.m.
Perhaps it's because I'm a rock star freelancer, or because I'm a freewheelin' member of Generation Y, or simply because my computer backs up against a wall and no one can see what I'm doing, but I don't think I could work for an employer who banned or even limited my internet use. My old office even had a Wii hooked up to a projector that we could use during lunch breaks. Seems to me like the age of the nanny-boss is drawing to an end, and an employee's value will be determined by how efficient he works, rather than by how long.
OK FINE, I'll admit it. I once spent two hours playing Desktop Tower Defense at work. Happy?
