Big River employees use company computers for video games

It's a scene from your boss' worst nightmare. Row after row of employees sitting at their work stations but work a million miles away. They're not crunching numbers, meeting deadlines or selling services.

In fact, they're laughing, joking and goofing off.

And, get this, they're using company-owned computers and other equipment for -- gasp! -- playing video games.

At Big River Telephone in Cape Girardeau, this is regular behavior. You won't get a tongue lashing, let alone a pink slip.

Having fun there is encouraged by company executives -- if it's done after business hours and at prearranged times. And they do. A group of 20 to 50 Big River employees, almost all 20-somethings, meet at Big River's main office in Cape Girardeau twice a month to log onto the high-speed network to play games like the shoot-'em-up "Quake 3" and the strategy game "Rise of Nations."

"We knew they were all playing at home at nights and on weekends," said Kevin Cantwell, president of Big River. "We thought, why not play here?"

Based in Cape Girardeau, Big River Telephone operates a fixed wireless network that delivers local, long-distance, data and Internet services to residences and businesses throughout eastern Missouri, Southern Illinois and western Kentucky.

A recruiting tool

That means the company has a lot of high-tech equipment and super-fast computers. But Cantwell said it's more than just a place to play.

"It's a good recruiting tool," he said. "Sometimes they bring their friends. If our workers are tech-savvy, you can bet their friends are. It gives us a chance to meet someone who might be a good fit with the company."

General manager Chris Simmons, just 26, said it started over the holidays. He said it's a good stress reliever and team-builder.

"Sometimes Kevin comes and plays and people line up to go shooting on the boss in a game," Simmons said.

Simmons said they don't worry too much about the equipment getting broken.

"They're careful," he said. "They know if they break something, they're the ones who are going to have to fix it the next day."

The employees love it. They sometimes put the games on one of the company's big screens, normally used for PowerPoint presentations. Others sit at their cubicles in their offices throughout the building, using the telephone's conference-call option to talk to each other.

"I really like the atmosphere here," said Ben Ferguson, a 23-year-old database analyst who started at Big River about a month ago. "Sometimes stuff gets stressful. This lets us to not leave work stressed out."

Customer service manager Steve Maldonado, 27, said it's more about having fun for him.

"It's a great way for employees to unwind and something to get all the stress out," he said. "It lets us blow off steam. Most jobs discourage you from playing games. During the day, we're all business. But after, we like having fun."

Cantwell's point about recruiting is made in Nick Centanni, a 24-year-old information technology major who graduated in May. Centanni doesn't work at Big River but came with his friend who does.

He was surprised.

"It sounds like a really cool idea," Centanni said. "Most places don't allow this type of thing. It seems like a nice environment."

In the end, Cantwell said, game nights keep his employees happy, which he thinks will keep them more productive in the long run.

"I don't want anybody saying this is a job they had for 30 years where they had to complain every day and have a heart attack," he said. "What kind of life is that?"

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137