Human Resources department could be getting some headaches in coming days if not weeks, as people have started playing Pokémon Go at work. No kidding.
If you are not already aware of the game that has got people fired, here is what’s all the rage about: Pokémon Go is a brand new game that was launched on 6th of July, which has galvanized tons of people to head out into their surroundings with their smartphone in search of a virtual Pokémon. It’s only been a week since the game was debuted for iPhone and Android devices, but it has already caused a lot of issues in people’s life as well as their career.
The game is not an archetypal smartphone game; it is empowered by augmented reality that merges the elements of the real world with the game. The game uses clock and GPS from the device to decide which characters will appear next to the user. Previously, the game was only for the handheld consoles that were manufactured by Nintendo. But, the augmented reality makes the game radically different from its previous versions, but the goal remains the same, that is, gotta catch ‘em all.
But, the addictive game has got people fired from their jobs. Within a week of its launch, the app is already bigger than Tinder and has gained almost the same number of active users as Twitter on a daily basis.
It is obviously tempting to whip out your phone at work and start finding Pokémon at work, but this might frustrate your boss if not get you fired. One of the Pokémon trainer’s boss left an angry note on his employees’ desk to make it clear that they are not supposed to “catch ‘em all” during work hours.
If you are uninitiated and don’t know how to play Pokémon Go or have no clue what all the fuss is about, here is the game in a nutshell: It’s kind of a virtual scavenger hunt, which allows players to hunt for 151 different characters on their smartphones while using augmented reality. To put it in different words, it is something that will allow you to explore the world surrounding your with the help of a smartphone and find them at coffee shops, at restaurants, at grocery stores and even at your jobs.
But, if you can’t resist playing the addictive game at work, here are our tips on how to play Pokémon Go at work without getting fired:
- Try to ignore any Pokémon that you find on or near your boss, unless you have a mutual understanding about playing Pokémon Go at work.
- Go out for lunch or to put in other words, go on Pokémon hunt during your break hours. Having lunch outside of the office, preferably at a Poke Stop will allow you to catch some of the rarest characters.
- Take Poké walks with your colleagues or volunteer to run errands for co-workers. If your colleagues are also your fellow trainers, you can go to catch the rarest Pokémon, as you might already know that they won’t come to you, you have to go and look for them. If your co-workers are not so cool then you can volunteer to get coffee or lunch for your co-workers, thus getting almost 15 minutes of uninterrupted Pokémon hunting time. You don’t need to tell them the selfish side of doing them the favor and you will be considered as the selfless superstar of the office!