Chicago is My Home

20
Mar

Chicago Study: March Madness to Cost Employers $1.7 Billion in Lost Productivity

Author: Adam Fendelman, Category: Business, Sports

CHICAGO – Bracket time is finally here. Throw in $10, fill out the office pool and watch which team will be eliminated next. March Madness is here in all its glory and the office is the best place to make bets and watch the game, right?

According to a new study released by Chicago-based outplacement consultant Challenger, Gray & Christmas, office workers will cost their employers $1.7 billion in lost productivity revenue during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

The study stated that 37.3 million workers participate in office pools while 1.5 million watch games online from their desks.

“The final piece to this lost productivity puzzle is the amount of time employees waste putting together their brackets, researching teams and watching games online” said Challenger, Gray & Christmas CEO John A. Challenger in a statement.

Montana, Nevada, New Jersey or Oregon are the only four states where office pools are legal, so if the boss doesn’t get you, the feds might instead.

By Stephanie Huls