Computer Games at Work Face Government Scrutiny

"Senator Allran (NC) wants the state to erase the free game modules such as Solitaire from all its computers - the digital version of throwing the deck in the trash can. The plan, he says, will save taxpayers millions in gained productivity -- not to mention soothing their angst over secretaries and executives' long hours clicking digital decks.

The solitaire crackdown here, though perhaps rare in its specificity, is part of a behind-the-scenes battle over personal time that's affecting not just unionized state workers in North Carolina, but sales reps in Washington and phone-bank workers in San Francisco. It goes straight to the issue of distractions from long days at the office and, more fundamentally, how much of their employees' time and concentration employers can reasonably expect to own.

Research done by the IRS has shown that over 50 percent of the time an IRS employee goes on a computer, he or she also hooks up to the Internet to shop, gamble or play games."

The juxtaposition of record high U.S. worker productivity with claims that half of worker's computer time is wasted to employers is too rich to pass up. Obviously, employers need to get a handle on what's going on. If big government employers are moving to ban solitaire by law, then some workplaces are totally out of control.

Peter S. Kastner