1. SHRM Survey Findings: The Use of Office Pools
April 25, 2013

2. Definition
In this survey, the term “office pools” refers to gambling in the workplace, including games,
competitions or other events. Office pools can be linked to football games, the Super Bowl,
the Oscars, the NCAA basketball championship tournament, etc.
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 2

3. Key Findings
 Do organizations have a policy that addresses office pools? A majority of organizations (81%)
indicated they do not have a written or unwritten policy that addresses office pools, an increase
from 67% in 2010. In 2013 and 2010, 10% of organizations reported having a written policy
addressing office pools. Only 8% of organizations reported having an unwritten policy in 2013, a
decrease from 23% in 2010.
 What is included in policies addressing office pools? Most policies that address office pools
include “prohibition of gambling that includes monetary exchange in the workplace” (70%),
“disciplinary action (not including termination) for failure to comply with policy” (69%), and
“prohibition of any form of gambling, including office pools,” (66%).
 How often do organizations enforce these policies? Of those organizations that currently have a
written or unwritten policy in place, less than one-tenth (7%) have disciplined employees for
noncompliance.
 Do organization prohibit employees from taking part in fantasy sports teams (e.g., fantasy
football or fantasy baseball) in the workplace? Currently, only 15% of organizations prohibit
employees from participating in fantasy sports teams in the workplace.
 Do office pools have a positive impact in the workplace? The top three areas that HR
professionals perceived as positively affected by office pools were relationship building (70%),
promoting team building (64%), and increasing employee engagement (54%).
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 3

4. Key Findings (continued)
 For which events do employees conduct office pools? In 2013, the top two events that
employees conducted office pools for were the Super Bowl (65%) and the NCAA college
basketball tournament (57%). Office pools for both of these events have increased since 2010,
when 39% of organizations reported office pools for the Super Bowl and 36% for the NCAA
college basketball tournament.
 Is there an increase in the number of employees who do not come to work the day after a
major televised event? Results indicate that more male employees (16%) are absent from work
the day after the Super Bowl compared with female employees (7%). The same pattern is
observed the day after the NCAA college basketball and football tournaments, with 6% of male
employees compared with 2% of female employees not coming to work.
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 4

5. Does your organization have a written or unwritten (understood) policy
addressing office pools?
23%
10%
67%
8%
10%
81%
2013 2010
Note: Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.
Yes, we have an unwritten (understood) policy
addressing office pools
Yes, we have a written policy addressing office pools
No, we do not have a written or unwritten policy
addressing office pools
(n = 335) (n = 271)
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 5

6. Does your organization have a written or unwritten (understood) policy
addressing office pools?
Comparison by organization staff size
• Organizations with 2,500 or more employees are more likely than organizations with 1 to 500 employees to have a written
policy addressing office pools.
Comparison by organization staff size
2,500 to 24,999 employees (24%)
25,000 or more employees (44%)
>
1 to 99 employees (5%)
100 to 499 employees (6%)
Comparison by organization sector
• Publicly owned for-profit organizations are more likely than privately owned for-profit organizations to have a written
policy addressing office pools.
Comparison by organization sector
Publicly owned for-profit organizations (21%) > Privately owned for-profit (6%)
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 6
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.

7. Is your organization’s written or unwritten (understood) policy
addressing office pools part of a gambling policy, or is it a stand-
alone policy?
Note: n = 58. Only respondents whose organizations have a written or unwritten policy addressing office pools were asked this question.
41%
59%
It is a stand-alone policy
It is part of a gambling policy
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 7

8. 2013
(n = 50)
2010
(n = 78)
Prohibition of gambling that includes monetary exchange 70% 70%
Disciplinary action (not including termination) for failure to comply with policy 69% 72%
Prohibition of any form of gambling, including office pools 66% 83%
Employment termination for failure to comply with policy 63% 67%
A definition of what gambling in the workplace means 43% 63%
Prohibition of any form of gambling, excluding office pools 39% 7%
Does your organization’s policy include the following aspects?
Note: Only respondents whose organizations have a written or unwritten policy addressing office pools were asked this question.
Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 8

9. Note: Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations have a written or
unwritten policy addressing office pools were asked this question. The asterisk (*) indicates the category was not included in the 2013 survey.
In the past 12 months, has your organization disciplined employees for
noncompliance with the office pools/gambling policy?
2%
4%
94%
7%
93%
No
2013
2010
(n = 70)
Yes, one or more employees have been disciplined
Yes, one or more employees have been terminated*
(n = 44)
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 9

10. Does your organization prohibit employees from taking part in
fantasy sports teams (e.g., fantasy football or fantasy baseball) in
the workplace?
Note: n = 294. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.
Yes, 15%
No, 85%
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 10

11. 2013
(n = 337)
2010
(n = 150)
Super Bowl 39% 65%
NCAA college basketball tournament 36% 57%
Lottery jackpot 31% 31%
Fantasy football 19% *
Workplace baby pool (e.g., baby's gender, height, weight,
birth day and hour)
18% 23%
NCAA college football championship 14% *
Fantasy basketball 6% *
Golf tournament (e.g., the Masters or U.S. Open) 3% 4%
The Motion Picture Academy of America Awards (also
known as the Oscars)
2% 2%
Fantasy or roto-baseball 1% *
Other 5% 7%
For which of the following events do employees at your organization
organize an office pool?
Note: Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple
response options. An asterisk (*) indicates the category was not included in the 2010 survey.
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 11

12. Positive
impact
Negative
impact
No
impact
Relationship building (n = 315) 70% 5% 25%
Team building (n = 319) 64% 5% 31%
Employee engagement (n = 317) 54% 9% 37%
Manager/employee relationships (n = 318) 40% 16% 45%
Job satisfaction (n = 319) 39% 5% 56%
Corporate culture management (n = 315) 33% 19% 48%
Supervisory relationships (n = 318) 23% 18% 59%
Employee recognition (n = 319) 12% 8% 80%
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013
Note: Percentages may not equal 100% due rounding.
12
Generally speaking, would you say that office pools have a positive
impact, a negative impact or no impact on the following areas at
your organization?

13. Increases
Stays the
same
Decreases
Super Bowl (n = 282-) 15% 78% 7%
NCAA college basketball tournament (n = 276) 6% 91% 3%
NCAA college football championship (n = 275) 5% 92% 3%
The Motion Picture Academy of America Awards
(also known as the Oscars) (n = 275)
1% 97% 2%
Generally speaking, after the major televised events listed below, would
you say the number of employees who do not report for work the next
day increases, stays the same or decreases at your organization?
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 13
Note: Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

14. Increases Stays the same Decreases
Male Female Male Female Male Female
Super Bowl (n = 282-) 16% 7% 77% 91% 7% 2%
NCAA college basketball
tournament (n = 276)
6% 2% 90% 97% 3% 1%
NCAA college football
championship (n = 275)
6% 2% 92% 97% 2% 1%
The Motion Picture Academy of
America Awards (also known as the
Oscars) (n = 275)
1% 1% 97% 97% 2% 2%
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 14
Generally speaking, after the major televised events listed below, would
you say the number of employees, by gender, who do not report for work
the next day increases, stays the same or decreases at your organization?
Note: n = 269. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not equal 100% due rounding.

15. Does your organization have formal/informal gatherings during these
events? For example, certain organizations host parties or social events
around watching a major sporting event.
Note: n = 309. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.
Yes, 13%
No, 87%
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16. Demographics
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17. Demographics: Organization Staff Size
1 to 99
100 to 499
500 to 2,499
2,500 to 24,999
25,000+
25%
37%
17%
18%
3%
n = 311
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 17

18. Demographics: Organization Sector
Privately owned for-profit
organization
Nonprofit organization
Publicly owned for-profit
organization
Government agency
52%
22%
15%
11%
n = 297
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19. Demographics: Organization Industry
Organization Industry Percentage
Manufacturing 20%
Health care and social assistance 16%
Professional, scientific, technical services 14%
Finance and insurance 13%
Government agencies 10%
Educational services 9%
Administrative, support and waste management 4%
Repair and maintenance 4%
Transportation and warehousing 4%
Arts, entertainment, recreation 3%
Construction 3%
Note: n = 313. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple responses.
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 19

20. Demographics: Organization Industry (continued)
Organization Industry Percentage
Real estate 3%
Retail trade 3%
Utilities 3%
Wholesale trade 3%
Accommodation, food services 2%
Information 2%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 2%
Religious grantmaking 2%
Agriculture 1%
Personal services 0%
Other 9%
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013
Note: n = 313. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple responses.
20

21. U.S.-based operations only 81%
Multinational operations 19%
Single-unit organization: An organization in
which the location and the organization
are one and the same
34%
Multi-unit organization: An organization
that has more than one location
66%
Multi-unit headquarters determines HR
policies and practices
52%
Each work location determines HR policies
and practices
4%
A combination of both the work location
and the multi-unit headquarters
determines HR policies and practices
45%
Is your organization a single-unit organization or
a multi-unit organization?
For multi-unit organizations, are HR policies and
practices determined by the multi-unit
headquarters, by each work location or by both?
Does your organization have U.S.-based
operations (business units) only, or does it
operate multinationally?
n = 324
n = 317
Note: n = 213. Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.
Corporate (companywide) 71%
Business unit/division 12%
Facility/location 17%
n = 215
What is the HR department/function for which
you responded throughout this survey?
Demographics: Other
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22. 22
SHRM Survey Findings: The Use of Office Pools
• Response rate = 13%
• 355 HR professional respondents from a randomly selected sample of SHRM’s
membership participated in this survey.
• Margin of error is +/-4%
• Survey fielded March 20-27, 2013
Survey Methodology
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 22

23. • For more survey/poll findings, visit www.shrm.org/surveys
• For more information about SHRM’s Customized Research Services, visit
www.shrm.org/customizedresearch
• Follow us on Twitter @SHRM_Research
SHRM Survey Findings: The Use of Office Pools
About SHRM Research
Project leader:
Rob Boyd, researcher, SHRM Research
Project contributors:
Alexander Alonso, Ph.D., SPHR, vice president, SHRM Research
Evren Esen, manager, Survey Research Center, SHRM Research
Copy Editor:
Katya Scanlan, SHRM Knowledge Center
The Use of Office Pools ©SHRM 2013 23