The United States Olympians may be working hard to bring home plenty of medals for our country to brag about, but they have left many employees who hold regular 9-to-5 jobs hardly working.
Like it or not, today’s workers take time to keep up on current events no matter where they are. Even the most productive workers spend a little bit of time throughout the work day catching up on the latest news. And the Olympic Games are certainly no exception.
With the advancements in technology, staying up to date on the Olympic events has been easier than ever, even with the major time difference between the U.S. and London. In fact, experts estimate that watching the Olympics at work is costing companies a staggering $650 million in lost productivity.
Reading articles and tweets about current coverage is distracting enough. But with live content constantly streaming online, employees can get sucked in to watching the coverage at work via their cell phones or company computers and end up wasting half of the day. Not to mention, the dozens of Olympic apps only add to the distraction.
According to a Yahoo! Sports survey conducted before the start of the games, 43 percent of employees planned to watch the Olympics while at work. Thirty percent even said they would alter their work days to do so.
However, the Summer Olympics only come around once every four years, so it is really something employers should be overly concerned about? While there should definitely be some ground rules for watching the Olympics at work, it shouldn’t be taboo. In my opinion, allowing employees to take a little bit of time out of their day to cheer on their country can be a great morale booster. A little bit of fun in the office never hurt anyone! Some companies even hold their own office olympics to boost employee morale.
What do you think about watching the Olympics at work? Have you seen any changes in productivity? Share with us in the comment section!
