Many of
you might have heard of the new augmented-reality game, Pokémon Go, but have
you considered how such augmented-reality games might impact the
workplace? Pokémon Go is a free, location-based
game that allows mobile phone users to “catch” small creatures in their
physical environment, using the phone’s camera and GPS. The enormously popular game was released on
July 6, 2016, and has been downloaded by more than 75 million people worldwide.
According to a recent article published by Reuters Legal, the
game has already caused a spike in lateness as well as safety and productivity issues.
The article reports that augmented-reality games are likely here to stay and
that “companies should move now to update workplace policies and ensure
consistent enforcement while securing facilities, warehouses and potentially
dangerous worksites against Pokémon hunters.”
Boeing Company and a
Massachusetts hospital have already set an example by banning the game and it’s
likely that others will follow.
According to the article, augmented-reality games, like Pokémon
Go, are the beginning of a new phenomenon.
These games will likely pose a number of risks in the workplace, such as
safety concerns, productivity and customer relation issues, as well as policy
enforcement issues. The article recites
an incident where an employee, playing Pokémon Go, leaned out of an open window
because he was trying to connect to something called a PokéStop down below. Employees have requested to sit by windows in
an effort to play the game. Some employers
have also reported an increase in tardiness because employees had to stop and
catch a creature as they were on their way to work. Another concern is that the game creates IT
security risks for employers, especially when the game is played on company
phones. The game uses the phone’s GPS
data and therefore, it makes it difficult for IT departments to capture
accurate data.
These games also pose
a threat to large facilities or campuses since the game involves a lot of
walking around. This is perhaps the
greatest risk since players have been roaming into secure or remote locations
in pursuit of capturing these virtual creatures. The Reuters Legal article
reported that an agribusiness company’s remote facility had become a hunting
ground for the virtual creatures and one player almost fell into a grain
elevator. If a player is hurt in such a
remote facility, there is now an argument that the company should have had knowledge
that such players were likely to be there.
Employers should consider the impacts of such games on their
premises and develop a policy prohibiting such augmented-reality games. As
discussed above, such games not only impact employee productivity, but can also
potentially leave employers liable to injuries that occur while the game is
being played.
Daniel Wiessner, Q&A: When to put a stop to Pokémon Go, REUTERS LEGAL (July 25, 2016)
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