March Madness is driving down work productivity: study

Put away that report your boss wants andಞ focus instead on 🎐your team’s last-minute comeback.

That’s how hundreds of work hours are ꦐbeing lostꦫ this month as March Madness affects offices with productivity drop off, according to a new study.

Many workers aren’t filling out a report but filing out a bracket, said the repo𝄹rt by employment expert Office­Team.

“Professionals said they spend on average of 25.5 minutes per day on sports-related activities in the office during the college basketball playoff. With the tournament spread across 1๊5 workdays, that’s the equivalent of six hours per employee,” according to the survey.

Males between 18𒀰 and 34 are the most likely to go basketball mad, but others join in, OfficeTeam said.

“Nearly half of professionals are big fans of celebrating sports events like March Madness in the office. Another third aren’t very fond of these activities but play along,” according to the 🐈survey.

About one in five emp⛄loyees has no 🌃interest and focus on work.

Still, OfficeTeam found some positive points in the lost productivity🦩.

“While employers may worry about eꦬvents like March Madness being a distraction in the office, allowing workers to enjoy sports-related activities for even a few minutes can be time well spent,” said Brandi Britton, a district president for OfficeTeam.

“So many people feel so♐me connection with these basketball games that it can be a good way for managers and workers to share time,” said A𝐆bby Thomas, a branch manager for Office­Team in Manhattan.

OfficeTeam said the survey questioned 1,♎000 workers and 200 senior managers.

The survey found that of those polled:

• 62 percent took time to check scores and team rankings.
• 59 percent increasingly talked sports at work during events.
• 48 percent wore team jerseys.