Forget March Madness. Employers Face Even Bigger Productivity Drops From Staff World Cup Mania |
Forget March Madness. Employers Face Even Bigger Productivity Drops From Staff World Cup Mania
A massive global event kicks off on June 11, and data shows a quarter of your staff already plans to watch it on the clock.
BY BRUCE CRUMLEY @BRUCEC_INC
Arrowhead Stadium ahead of the 2026 World Cup in Kansas City, Missouri. Photo: Getty Images
Memories of thrilling NCAA March Madness basketball have only just begun to fade, but workplaces are now already looking forward to the World Cup of soccer’s June 11 kickoff. In preparation for the tournament, employers across the globe would be wise to start making plans to limit unexpected game-day absences, dips in staff attention, and even bigger drops in productivity than those lost to college hoops two months ago.
Why are global workplaces likely to experience even more disruptions from World Cup play than during March Madness? For starters, the June 11-July 19 celebration of the planet’s most popular game will comprise 104 matches, compared to the 67 before the NCAA’s Final Four showdown. Meanwhile, while the appeal of college basketball is largely concentrated in the U.S., the Mondial mesmerizes billions of fans from virtually every nation on the planet. Meaning, people in offices, warehouses, restaurants, and construction sites from Miami to Melbourne, and Seoul to Sao Paolo will be tempted to sneak peaks at streaming video of games, or listen to radio accounts of World Cup contests during its nearly six week span.
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