General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMarch Madness Could Cost Employers Nearly $2 Billion
http://www.manufacturing.net/blogs/2015/03/march-madness-could-cost-employers-nearly-2-billion?et_cid=4467921&et_rid=54679148&type=ctaA co-worker of mine just distributed printed NCAA Division 1 men's basketball tournament brackets to the rest of the office. Not for a bracket pool, but just for informational purposes for those who wanted them.
Such has become the norm across workplaces across the country as one of sports' biggest moneymakers is once again about to start, and for a hefty price to employers. From the time the tournament field of 68 was announced Sunday evening until the national champion is crowned April 6, millions of employees will spend work hours filling out brackets and watching tournament games, creating a major drag on workplace productivity.
How much? Chicago-based global outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas estimates that the total cost of lost workplace productivity could be as high as $1.9 billion from now until the tournament ends. The same firm has done similar studies in the past, including a figure of $13.4 billion in lost productivity due to fantasy football in 2013. Last year the firm predicted that 50 million Americans would participate in March Madness pools. This year's figure is 60 million.
tridim
(45,358 posts)And at the expense of the 1% no less!
I feel just awful for them and their 0.0001% pay cut.
eridani
(51,907 posts)--lots of time at the office. "Work" and "life" haven't been separate for many people for quite a long time.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)Inkfreak
(1,695 posts)Notre Dame to win the other...cuz I'm an ACC fanboy!!
Brickbat
(19,339 posts)their employees to some extent, I really don't give a shit.
Takket
(21,702 posts)and paying people less and less, to the tune of trillions of dollars sitting in off shore accounts, I think they can absord the slight slowdown in productivity.
deutsey
(20,166 posts)The rest of the year costs employees a helluva lot more in terms of quality of life.
Start sharing the wealth that we create more fairly and maybe I'll give a shit.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)when the NCAA refuses to compensate their labor, going to lengths to refusing to call them employees
FSogol
(45,582 posts)office brackets? Plus, sometimes productivity increases when people have some time to slack off. Ever feel recharged after a vacation, Holiday, or snow day? Companies spend time and money trying to figure out how to get people to work better together and increase office moral, but then want to whine about the NCAA tournament?
GusBob
(7,286 posts)Most certainly is a bullshit survey