It's time! By now, everyone has done their mock drafts, tirelessly researched last year's rankings and put together a thoughtful fantasy football strategy. It's a lot of work and it requires a considerable amount of time. How this translates into the workplace can be complicated. Play by the rules and it could actually be a benefit. However, if employers are not careful, it could be counterproductive.

According to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, about 32 million Americans spend $467 per person or about $15 billion in total playing fantasy football. It's a time when employees can act like an NFL or college team owner to assemble players and make the "real" games more exciting. It's fun; it's challenging – and it has absolutely nothing to do with work. Some benefits managers see it as a distraction, but go along with it as long as it doesn't disrupt productivity. Some research suggests that these kinds of activities can actually help improve productivity.

To read the full version of the article written by Duane Morris partner Michael S. Cohen, please visit the Employee Benefit News website.