Gambling Policy In The Workplace
Following are some sample recommended workplace policies for government agencies. Special thanks to Iowa Department of Public Health and Marion County Health Department.
Information about creating a workplace gambling policy, including useful tips and a sample policy. Additional resources about gambling in the workplace, workplace problem gambling symptoms, and a 21-step system to help employees recover from gambling addiction. A clear, consistently applied policy defining what activities are prohibited and permitted can go a long way toward ensuring workplace gambling does not spin out of control. Provide awareness training: Without awareness, problem gambling will not be detected. The signs of a gambling problem are seldom identified as gambling related. Allowing recreational gambling in the workplace may cause some employees to feel uncomfortable and file complaints. You should be particularly careful if you intend to organize an office pool, as your employer may have polices against workplace gambling. This policy could include guidelines that help determine.
Sample 1
(Credit: Iowa Department of Public Health)
XYZ Corporation, Inc. (the Company) intends to help provide a gambling-free work environment for our clients and our employees. The Company believes gambling during work time or using work-related resources to gamble is not an appropriate use of work time (including e-mail, phone, internet, etc.). With this goal in mind and to avert problem gambling in today’s workplace, we are establishing the following policy for existing and future employees of XYZ Corporation, Inc.
The Company explicitly prohibits:
- Any gambling while at work. This includes use of company e-mail, phone, internet, etc. to gamble.
- Gambling includes, but is not limited to, NCAA tournament brackets, sports betting, fantasy football, Lottery/Powerball pools, etc.
If an employee is gambling on company time or using work-related resources, the employee may be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and possibly including discharge from employment. In such a case, the employee may be given an opportunity to go to a licensed problem gambling treatment program for a problem gambling evaluation and treatment if recommended.
Sample 2
(Credit: Marion County Health Department, Oregon)
The Company is committed to promoting a productive and healthy work environment for all our employees. We seek to create a supportive workplace environment in which
employees feel comfortable and supported in seeking assistance and recovering from a variety of behavioral health issues, including problem gambling. The purpose of this policy is to increase awareness of problem gambling and to provide guidance for employees and
management in addressing problem gambling issues and their effects in the workplace.
To reduce the negative effects of gambling on the workplace, no employees may participate in any gambling activity while working or using Company-provided equipment. Help for Employees and Family Members: If you feel you or a family member has a gambling problem, please free, confidential treatment for gambling problems is available throughout the State via the Oregon Problem Gambling Helpline (1-877- MY LIMIT).
Sample Excerpt for Internet Use Policy (Including Gambling)
Employees may not use the Internet access provided by the company to:
- Use internet-enabled activities such as gambling, excessive gaming, conducting a business or conducting illegal activities.
Scenario: College basketball teams are playing in their respective league championship tournaments and soon the “NCAA March Madness” brackets will be announced. Many sports fans are accustomed to placing a friendly wager on a favorite team. Your office colleagues decide to set up a little game. It does not harm anyone, and participation is totally voluntary. Is it permissible?
Answer: While betting a few dollars on sports is often viewed as a harmless social pastime, if done at work it violates the Federal regulations that prohibit gambling for money or property in the Federal workplace. Predicting teams that will advance in a college basketball bracket purely for fun or picking winners to claim bragging rights in the office are not the types of conduct that generally raise concerns.
Federal rules on gambling prohibit employees from gambling while on duty, or while on government-owned or leased property, unless necessitated by their official duties. These restrictions apply not only to Federal employees, but also to members of the public at large, contractors, vendors, and exhibitors when on GSA-controlled property. The rules are found at 5 CFR section 735.201 and 41 CFR section 102-74.395. (CFR = Code of Federal Regulations)
Violations of the regulations may be cause for disciplinary action by the employee’s agency, which may be in addition to any penalty prescribed by law.
The only authorized exception is for activities and games that take place during the time period of the annual Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), in accordance with Executive Order 12353. However, CFC raffles are not synonymous with gambling when conducted in accordance with part 950 of title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Legally defined, gambling requires 3 elements:
- A game of chance,
- Consideration for the opportunity to play the game, and
- An offering of a prize.
Gambling Policy In The Workplace
A game of chance includes, but is not limited to, a raffle, lottery, sports pool, game of cards, the selling or purchasing of a numbers slip or ticket, or any game for money or property. Consideration includes a participation fee, a wager of money, and something of value in return for the possibility of winning a reward or prize. A prize would include a monetary award, or a tangible or intangible item. Examples include meals, drinks, administrative leave, gift certificates, tickets to events, or cash.
In addition to the OPM and GSA regulations, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Policy for Personal Use of Information Technology Resources, HHS-OCIO-2006-0001, section 5.4.3 (2/17/06), prohibits the use of government equipment, such as computers and e-mail, for illegal gambling activities. This includes related e-mails sent from a personal account if done using a government computer.
Gambling In The Workplace Policy Nsw
Violations of this policy may be cause for loss of use or restricted use of government equipment, disciplinary action, or financial liability.
Note that the Randolph-Sheppard Act which covers the existence of the convenience stores on campus permits them to sell state lottery tickets.