Workers across the country are researching stats, crunching numbers and calling their ESPN-addicted cousins in order to fill out their March Madness brackets. Yet, they might be unaware that 23 percent of employers have a written policy regarding gambling, and an additional 10 percent have an unwritten or understood policy, according to a recent survey from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). This figure might not sound significant, but in 2006 only 14 percent had a written policy and 7 percent had an unwritten policy, suggesting companies are watching workplace betting more than they used to.

Companies who do have policies regarding gambling (and yes, putting money on March Madness counts) say the following:

• 83 percent prohibit any form of gambling on company premises
• 72 percent will take disciplinary action (not including termination) for violating the  policy
• 70 percent prohibit gambling where money is exchanged
• 67 percent have provisions for termination if the gambling policy is violated

Of all the events that workers bet on, Super Bowl ranks as the most popular and the NCAA college basketball tournament comes in second. (If you look at a CareerBuilder survey from last year, you’ll also see that people bet on some strange stuff. How odd? Well, they’ve bet on when a large pile of snow in the parking lot would melt and what co-workers cholesterol numbers would be.)

What’s interesting is that 55 percent of employers consider office pools to have a positive impact on employee morale. Yet, 37 percent believe office pools have a negative impact on productivity. So betting in the office can make you happy but unproductive … take note, everyone.

Judging by the survey results, most employers aren’t anti-gambling. Unless the company has rules against gambling, your office pool is harmless. So go ahead and fill out your bracket if you want, but don’t let it affect your productivity. You don’t want to give your employer a reason to institute a policy against pools if none exists.

Before you let March Madness overtake you, keep the following tips in mind:

• Do your research and strategizing on your own time.
  Don’t waste hours of your company’s time putting player stats in a spreadsheet when you should be doing your job.
• Check the rules
  Even if you’re pretty sure no rules exist about betting, you should double check. Maybe you can bet but you can’t put money on it. Better to be informed than surprised by an angry boss or HR person.
• Remember, it’s all fun
  Don’t get so enthralled by the competition that you end up yelling at a co-worker or throwing your coffee mug against the wall. No one will like you, you could get fired and you’ve probably ruined office pools for everyone else, too.
• Don’t force people to play
  Office pools are fun. At least they should be. When an overzealous organizer is going up to each person and giving them a version of LBJ’s Treatment just to pressure them into participating, the fun is gone. Some people just don’t care about the pool, so let them sit it out.

That said, good luck!

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Some critics (in the House and in the general population) feel the bill is unnecessary. Others think it doesn’t do enough. Many observers feel it’s close but not perfect. And some people actually like it. What’s all the fuss about? Well, here are some of the highlights of the bill to give you an idea of what the Senate needs to approve next week before anything else happens (via AP):

 The $100 billion-plus bill would extend unemployment assistance, revive a bevy of expired tax breaks, help states with soaring Medicaid costs and prevent doctors from having to absorb big cuts in Medicare payments. The popular initiatives are traditionally extended on a bipartisan basis for brief periods of time, which hides their long-term costs.

First, [the jobs bill] would exempt businesses hiring the unemployed from the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax through December and give them an additional $1,000 credit if new workers stay on the job a full year.

Second, it would extend highway and mass transit programs through the end of the year and pump in $20 billion for the spring construction season. The money would make up for lower-than-expected gasoline tax revenues.

You’ll be hearing more about this in the coming days, weeks and months. If you love it or hate it, I think we can all agree that hopefully positive results will come from this.

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Maybe the dilemma’s not even that easy. Let’s be honest, the job situation has people worried about getting laid off or fired for missing too much work. Some companies also classify sick leave and vacation days under the same pool of accrued time, so taking a sick day today means a shorter vacation in a couple of months. Or a sick day today means having to find a sitter when your child gets sick later this season. Unfortunately, the issue isn’t as simple as don’t go to work if you don’t feel 100 percent.

This article in the Chicago Tribune discusses how employers are trying to balance business needs with sick workers reluctant to stay home.

From the article:

Some employees have to ration their sick days carefully or may not have any paid time off. Others weigh the fear of making a bad impression against the risk of prolonging an illness and feeling worse.

“It’s very hard to take off of work at my job,” said Noor Aweidah, who works for the president of a marketing firm and helps bring in new clients. “Things being the way they are today, new business is a real priority. If I’m not there, meetings are not happening, calls are not taking place.”

Even with her concerns, Aweidah recently had to take a rare day off to keep some incipient flu-like symptoms from worsening. She canceled a client meeting and made sure the interns under her supervision knew their daily tasks, then lay down on her couch to watch bad movies and drink tea.

The client was understanding about needing to reschedule, she said.

“It’s hard being in a creative environment to not be on your A game, especially when you’re interfacing with clients,” Aweidah said. “But they don’t want to meet with someone who’s coughing or sweating.”

And on last week’s Harvard Business Ideacast, experts ask Is Your Business Ready for H1N1? (Even if you’re not an employer, it’s worth checking out to hear what companies are doing for their employees and what they want to see happening in workplaces.)

When you’re deciding whether or not to come in to the office, or even if you’re not sick but are wondering what you’ll do if you do get some form of flu this season, here are some tips:

• Talk to your boss now.
  Find out what the company’s doing about the flu this year. Is it the same policy as last year or are they asking you to take different precautions?
• What are your work-from-home options?
  If you have the kind of job where working from home is possible, see what the policy is. Do you need permission before doing it or can you call in one morning and say you need to work from home? Does it count against your time off at all?
• Do you need a note if you miss a certain amount of consecutive days?
  Let’s be honest, most of us don’t know the details of every company policy. Many employers require a doctor’s note for anyone who stays home for more than a certain amount of consecutive days, so you don’t want to show up after a week out and be told to go home until return with a note.
• Do you  really need to go in today?
  If you’re in that gray zone where you  might be getting sick or you might just have a 24-hour bug, you could be wondering if you should go to work or stay home. There are pros and cons to both, and you might have your own reasons for wanting to go in. Just remember that if you are contagious and you end up getting the whole office sick, no one will be pleased with you, especially if it means half of your group is out and everyone else has to work twice as hard.
• Do you have any other perks?
  Some companies pay for their employees to get the flu vaccine (the regular one, not the H1N1 vaccine, since it’s being offered free). If you want the flu shot, see if your company covers the cost or will reimburse you for it. Also see if they’ll be providing hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes to people in the office.

Also check out this article from fellow blogger Rachel Zupek.

Have you dealt with any of these issues this flu season?

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So are there any bright spots?

Yes, actually. Health care added 29,000 jobs in October. Temporary employment services had steadily lost jobs in the beginning of the year, but in October they added 34,000 jobs. Companies have the need for more workers, but they’re cautious of adding new permanent employees. If the economy struggles again, they’d prefer to not renew temporary workers’ contracts rather than layoff a group of employees.

Two CareerBuilder.com experts were on TV to discuss the job numbers and the job outlook this morning.

First up, watch CEO Matt Ferguson on CNBC.

And senior career adviser Michael Erwin was on CBS 2 in Chicago. Watch that clip here.

You can also read the detailed, full report from the BLS on its site.

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They say that economic factors are likely to have played a role in the decrease. Industries that typically account for most workplace injuries and fatalities, like construction — which declined 20 percent — have experienced large declines in the number of hours worked and the number of employed persons, which ultimately lead to less injury.

Another finding that might be related to the economy? Workplace suicides. Workplace suicides rose from 196 cases in 2007 to 251 cases in 2008, an increase of 28 percent and the highest number ever reported by the fatality census. Suicides among protective service occupations rose from 14 in 2007 to 25 in 2008.

Other key findings:

• Fatal work injuries in the private construction sector in 2008 declined by 20 percent from the updated 2007 total, twice the all-worker decline of 10 percent.
• Fatal workplace falls, which had risen to a series high in 2007, also declined by 20 percent in 2008.
• Workplace suicides were up 28 percent to a series high of 251 cases in 2008, but workplace homicides declined 18 percent in 2008.
• The number and rate of fatal work injuries among 16 to 17-year-old workers were higher in 2008.
• Fatal occupational injuries involving Hispanic or Latino workers in 2008 were 17 percent lower than in 2007. Fatalities among non-Hispanic Black or African American workers were down 16 percent.
• The number of fatal workplace injuries in farming, fishing and forestry occupations rose 6 percent in 2008 after declining in 2007.
• Transportation incidents, which accounted for approximately two-fifths of all the workplace fatalities in 2008, fell 13 percent from the previous series low of 2,351 cases reported in 2007.

Want to see the most dangerous occupations, according to workplace fatalities? Check out this graph.

Click here to read the full report.

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• This is definitely a regional issue, but I suspect it’s something we’ll be seeing in various states. So students, pay attention to deadlines.
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  Well, then. “34 hospitalized after co-worker sprays perfume”
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Here’s what you should catch up on:

• This is a good FYI that could help your job hunt…or it’s just good to know.
  Comparisons of full- and part-time hourly earnings, 2007
• Sometimes, knowing what NOT to do is as helpful as knowing what to do.
  Desperation and other mistakes job-seekers should avoid
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  Answers to six tough job interview questions
• Free stuff! (In North Carolina, at least.)
  Charlotte Domino’s offers gift cards to the unemployed

See you on Hump Day!

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Before you begin your weekend relaxation, read these stories. You’ll not only be current on what’s in the news, you’ll also wow your friends with your vast knowledge.

• Can we all say, “Ugh” collectively?
  Jobless Checks for Millions Delayed as States Struggle
• Here are some books to help with a job search. Though, we’re partial to this one. Hehe.
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• Volunteering is good for your application and will make you feel better. (Plus, if you’re reading this in the US, imagine this article in a delightful Irish accent.)
  Volunteering: keeping spirits up while looking for work
• Gee, way to rain to the parade.
  In Economic Recovery, Not So Fast on the New Jobs

Have a good weekend, y’all!

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• Are we nearing the end of the recession? — Bloomberg
• Putting a cactus near your computer monitor might be good for you — The Daily Green
• Jobs where the paychecks are getting bigger — Forbes
• Tips for those considering online classes to boost their careers — 45things
• 40 years after the moon landing we wonder: How does one get a job at NASA? — NASA.org

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