March Madness causes productivity losses, but can be a gain for culture

The annual tournaments may dampen employee output but can be a win for workplace camaraderie and engagement.

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March Madness is officially underway. The 2022 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament will work their way from 68 teams to one winner on the courts in New Orleans and Minneapolis, respectively. And WalletHub reports there will be $13.8 billion in corporate losses due to unproductive workers during the tournaments’ run.

Other workplace-related highlights from WalletHub’s March Madness analysis are:

  • The average worker spends six hours watching March Madness games.
  • 56% of millennials are willing to miss a work deadline to watch.
  • 50 million people participated in bracket pools, and 29% of March Madness fans participate in office pools.
  • 81% of human resource professionals say their organization doesn’t have a policy addressing office pools.
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