Five Ways to Prevent Workplace Trash-Talk During Major Sporting Events

Friendly workplace discussions about sports occasionally lead to intense debates, which can then escalate into disruptive verbal conflicts. High-profile events like the Super Bowl, March Madness and the World Cup for example, have a tendency to disrupt the workplace even more. There’s nothing wrong with rooting for your favorites as long as “Go (insert preferred team)!” doesn’t spiral into distractions.

How inspired do fans get? February’s San Francisco-Kansas City match-up was the most legally bet on Super Bowl in history with more than 24 million people wagering $6.8 billion, according to CNBC. And that’s just the legal bets! It seems whenever money is on the line, fans become a tad more passionate.

It’s important to set a good example. Show employees how to participate in sports-related fun, without getting sidelined from their responsibilities.

Stop the Madness Before it Starts

How do you ensure friendly chitchat doesn’t escalate into name-calling or worse? Communication. And it starts long before the big games. The best way to curtail abusive behavior is to have a plan in place that addresses it. Here are five tips to help you curb the mayhem:

1. Define inappropriate behavior in your employee handbook. You don’t need to discuss sports, specifically, but having a clear statement outlining what behaviors are and aren’t acceptable presents a solid foundation. Make it clear employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional, productive manner in the workplace and that counterproductive behavior will be confronted as it occurs. Have employees review your policy and sign it to acknowledge understanding.
2. Address undesirable conduct immediately. Make sure your policy includes disciplinary steps whenever employees cross the line — from an initial infraction to repeated abuses. When employees know there are consequences for their actions, they may be less likely to step out of line.
3. Encourage an environment of accountability. When employees know you care about their well-being, there’s a better chance they will help enforce the rules. If there is a clearly stated process for reporting abuse, employees will encourage each other to trust the process and report improper conduct. It’s critically important that you enforce your policies consistently, too, so employees truly believe you have their backs.
4. Regularly remind employees of your policies. Requiring harassment prevention training once a year is a good way to address inappropriate behavior, and it doesn’t hurt to send reminders prior to specific events. For example, recap your policy that computers are solely for work purposes and not for streaming games while at work. Preventing opportunities for fan clashes is one way to deter escalation.
5. Practice what you preach. This is hard to do if you’re a big fan, too. If employees witness you fanning the flames, they’ll likely assume it’s okay for them to follow suit. To avoid negative encounters over sporting events, it’s best to remove all temptations, including your fervent enthusiasm. For starters, don’t facilitate or participate in betting opportunities, like office pools. Instead, encourage respect for each other, regardless of who wins or loses.

Train Like the Pros

If you want to curtail the madness prior to any major sporting event, the Harassment Training Smart App from HRdirect makes it simple and affordable to provide effective, attorney-approved training for employees and managers, no matter who they root for. Instead of hiring a professional trainer, you provide individual or group training through engaging videos and complementary audio that encourages desirable behaviors. It’s easy to set up, administer and track — a slam dunk!