Chicago Tribune

Embrace the Madness: Employers go all in with basketball watch parties, pizza and office pools

When the NCAA men's basketball tournament tips off Thursday, millions of viewers at offices across the country will huddle over their screens of choice, doing their level best to look busy while toggling between spreadsheets and the Michigan State - Bradley game.

Welcome to March Madness, an annual rite of spring, where businesses decry the billions of dollars in lost productivity as workers cheer on their picks and check their office pool instead of filing that overdue report.

But in an era of full employment and smart phone streaming, some employers are taking a different approach: Put the games

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