Computer Games at Work Drain Productivity.

DO you know when your employees are playing computer games instead of working? No one knows for sure how much time employees waste on games, but when they do, it's a drain on your productivity.

If you've ever spent (killed?) a little time playing one of the digital diversions now available, you probably know how addicting they can be. You can quickly lose track of the time fighting space aliens or trying to win a game of video solitaire or golf.

More than one employer has had a "game craze" sweep the workplace, as workers try to outdo each other on a popular new program. Employees sometimes bring in game disks from home to swap or load onto office PCs.

Besides robbing you of worker productivity, computer entertainment eats up your hard disk space, processor time and network capacity.

But computer game use can be hard to detect. Workers often go to great lengths to hide their game additions. Some games even offer a "boss mode" that pops a fake spreadsheet onto the screen at the touch of a key.

Is it worth worrying about? SBT Corp., a Sausalito, CA, accounting firm, concludes from its survey of 6,000 office workers that U.S. workers spend half a billion hours per year playing games, at a cost of $10 billion in lost productivity.

Some employers, like Sears and Intel, have taken serious steps against game-playing. They remove all games from the computers they buy, ban the use of games, and use game-zapping software to keep games rooted out.

Defenders will tell you game playing familiarizes new users with the computer and teaches motor skills, like how to use the mouse. They also see game use as beneficial because it "relieves stress and fosters camaraderie among workers." Opponents respond that these are just glorified excuses to goof off.

How to take control of computer game-playing in your workplace.

* Establish anti-game rules. John Edwards, a Mount Laurel, NJ, computer industry analyst, suggests you let employees know that a computer game is about as welcome at their desks as a bottle of whiskey.

* Allow only approved software on all office computers. This rule will justify your supervisors when they must delete games and other non-business programs.

* Put it in writing. Your computer game policy should be outlined in your employee handbook. Also, describe the consequences employees will face if caught playing games.

* Set up controlled game playing. To maintain morale in your new no-games environment, you can set up "games-only" PCs in the lounge or lunchroom for employees to use on their own time. Some employers also allow the use of computer games to keep personnel, who work night shifts, awake and alert.

Patti Rouse is a business management consultant based in Santa Monica.