Benefits with Sycamore Community Schools

Problem Gambling in the Workplace

Problem gambling isn't just an issue that affects someone's personal life. Like most addictions, it can extend well beyond the home. Although often unrecognized, problem gambling is a significant workforce issue that can result in lost time and productivity, as well as theft.

What is problem gambling?

A problem gambler is anyone whose gambling is causing psychological, financial, emotional, marital, legal, or other difficulties for the gambler or the people around him or her. Problem gambling may be an isolated case of overspending, a pattern of excessive gambling when upset, or an ongoing problem with continual losses and mounting debts. At the extreme end of this range is pathological gambling, where people are unable to control their gambling, much as those addicted to alcohol are unable to control their drinking.

Warning Signs

Gambling and gambling-related activities are frequently carried out during work hours. Since it can be a challenge to identify problem gambling, it is important that employers and employees develop a greater awareness of the signs associated with this issue:

• Work performance deteriorates: The person is preoccupied, has trouble concentrating, is absent or late for meetings, and misses assignment deadlines.
• Frequent unexplained absences or disappearances from work
• Eagerness to organize and participate in betting opportunities
• Pay requested in lieu of vacation time, and large blocks of vacation time are not taken.
• Frequent borrowing of money or arguing with coworkers about money that is owed to them
• Complaints about mounting debts
• Excessive use of the telephone for personal calls
• Mood swings, often related to winning and losing streaks
• Credit card or loan bills mailed to work rather than home.
• Increasing time spent gambling during lunch hours and coffee breaks
• False claims made against expense accounts.
• Theft of company property

How You Can Help

Proactive efforts can help reduce the negative impact problem gambling can have within the workplace. Here are some measures to consider:

• Does your company have a workplace gambling policy in place? Most companies have policies on Internet use, phone use, and prohibited activities during work hours. Having such guidelines in place for gambling can help prevent obsessive activity, as well as serve as a springboard for an intervention conversation, should an issue occur.
• Does your company provide awareness tips or training on problem gambling? Frequently, an addiction can go undetected because people are uninformed or unaware of the warning signs associated with gambling addiction. An informational session led by a trained professional can help identify a problem early on.
• Provide an avenue for recovery. Financial issues can be just as serious as a mental health disorder. Consider providing financial counseling or informational resources to help those in fiscal crisis address the problem constructively.