A North Carolina state senator is sponsoring legislation to erase free game modules from all state employee computers claiming the plan will save state taxpayers millions in gained productivity. A central question is whether playing a hand or two of solitaire has a dramatic effect on the bottom line - or if it actually helps productivity by giving workers a low-stress outlet in otherwise frantic days. The plan addresses the issue of distractions from long days at the office and how much of their employees' time and concentration employers can reasonably expect to own. Opponents to the plan claim that it may cost more than it would save.
See "Is that a spreadsheet on your screen - or solitaire?", Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, March 17, 2005