My New York Football Giants are 0-2 so far this year. It’s been ugly.
But all is not lost for me. Why? My fantasy football team — the Hartford Hotspurs (with a wink to my favorite soccer team, the Tottenham Hotspurs) — is 2-0 so far.
Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with employment law. Well, as it turns out, lots. (And, in fairness, I’ve covered this topic before in posts such as here, here and here.)
Fantasy Football and March Madness have made it into the workplace like never before. (Note to my fellow partners — my fantasy team is strictly an outside endeavor). Indeed, some employees are bound to make a friendly bet or wager (or enter a “daily fantasy league”) on company time while on company property and with company equipment.
While seemingly harmless, gambling, whether legal or illegal, is a huge pastime in the US and often creates unwanted legal issues. In some states gambling can range from a Class B misdemeanor to only a social relationship.
Employers may also open themselves to liability by sponsoring or permitting gambling in the workplace.
On October 20th, the American Bar Association is producing a webinar on the topic. And I’ll be one of the panelists to discuss the employment law implications.
As a whole, the program will discuss:
- Legality of the most common forms of workplace gambling
- Ethical guidelines to consider
- Enforcing/developing policies
- Liability and organizational risk
- Preventing disruption at work if office pools are allowed
It promises to be an entertaining and informative talk. Be sure to join us. You can register from the program, which will run from 1-2:30p ET, here.
