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Benefits April 2, 2008
Computer Game Dustup Prompts Mass Game Removal
April 2, 2008 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Complaints by some
workers at the Montana Department of Public Health and Human
Services that new computers lacked popular games has prompted
the agency to strip games from the computers used by more
than 3,000 employees.
Reported by Fred Schneyer
An Associated Press news report said workers assigned to the Child Support Enforcement Division raised a stink after getting new computers without online games such as solitaire, hearts, and minesweeper that typically come with Microsoft operating systems. The upset employees pointed out other workers in the agency had the games.
“I said if they want them, we’ll put them on,” said Lonnie Olson, division administrator, in the news report. He added that he wanted to make sure all employees in the department are treated the same.
After reporters inquired about the dispute, the AP
said the agency stripped the games off of every
department-owned computer. “It sends a clear message that
computers are not to be used for non-work activities,”
department Director Joan Miles said in a newsletter.
Sheryl Olson, deputy director of the Department of
Administration, said her agency, which oversees the
state’s mainframe computer, adopted a no-games policy in
2001. “To me, the broader policy is nobody should be
playing games on state computers,” Olson asserted
according to the Associated Press. “We’re at work to
work. Why is this even a question? Who has time to play
games?”