Gaming at Work: Fun Until Someone Gets Caught, So… Don’t

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so you occasionally sneak a gaming session in while working. You justify this little excursion into game land with the usual excuses: your job is boring, you’ve already done everything, it will help clear your head, etc. But no one really wants to work for a living, including you.

Browser-based games (more commonly known as “flash games”) are a fun and addicting way to use your company’s internet to game as fast as possible, and web peripherals like StealthSwitch give you the ability to be invisible in your online sneakery. But there is always the risk that your boss is a tech-savvy workaholic that knows exactly how to catch you in the act. And sometimes you just need that handheld console experience. The world is unfair anyway, so here are three rules you should always follow in order to get away with PSP, DS, and general handheld gaming while on the job.

Rule #1 of gaming while working is to pretend like you are not doing anything wrong. Getting caught using “company time” to game on the go is bad enough, but doing a bad job of hiding your hobby is worse…and stupid. If someone spots you huddled over your desk like Igor, cradling your PSP or DS and whispering “Yes, master” while you try to beat that boss or level up that mage, chances are the big boss man will come down on you, hard.

Also remember that gaming while working should be in short bursts. It’s a sprint, not a marathon. The longer you game, the longer you leave open the chance to get caught. Most “daily grind” jobs are a strict 9-to-5 haul with thousands of other employees all around you, so remember to budget your illicit gaming. Don’t play for more than 30 minutes at a time. Gamers who work the night shift or otherwise find themselves alone for long stretches of time have free reign to let loose and game hard, but should pay special attention to the third rule, which is…

Monitor your surroundings. Rule #1 still applies, but you should always monitor your surroundings and look for signs that say it’s time to put the game away. If you hear someone walking your way, don’t take a chance: put the game away every time, because the one time you don’t will be the one time it’s your boss. If you work with nosy people and you start to hear ruffling or rummaging, put the game away just in case your “friends” decide to pop in and see what you’re doing. If you’re a high-end gamer with a well-paying job and some 401k, remember that even your place atop the company food chain can be eliminated if you’re caught doing something besides what the company is paying you to do. So don’t risk it.

While we can always decide to take the moral high ground and not give in to temptation, gaming on the job is one of the more innocent ways of wasting company time. But you can still look forward to a warning, a lecture, or even a pink-slip if you’re caught sneaking a peek repeatedly. So take care and beware, but remember that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play…