It’s March Madness time again, when college basketball invades the minds of employees at workplaces nationwide. According to a report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., the attention of one-third of employees is diverted each March by the annual basketball tournament, with about 3 million workers spending between one and three hours per day following the games. The report concluded that their exuberance costs employers at least $134 million in “lost wages” over the first two days of the tournament. The estimate is based on the latest government statistics, which indicate that American workers earn $22.38 an hour on average.
A survey by MSN and Impulse Research found that 66% of workers will follow March Madness during work hours, with 20% spending one to two hours following the games, 14% spending three to four hours, and 16% saying they’ll spend at least five hours watching the games. In addition to watching games at their desks, 7% of respondents said they take time off from work to watch the tournaments, while 12% admit to calling in sick so they can see the games.
