World Cup fever to sweep UK offices – But how much will it cost your business?

New research has found that British workers have tactics in place to keep up with the eagerly-awaited tournament, including pulling sickies, streaming games discreetly and keeping an eye on social media.

Almost one million workers say they’ll feign illness, costing employers a staggering £99,793,529 in lost hours, while three million aim to keep tabs on a live stream, racking up losses of £831,612,398.

Covertly keeping an eye on social media is also on the agenda for a third of fans, worth a whopping £1.3 billion (£1,372,160,509.80) during the knockout stages.

The survey by Printerland.co.uk found that football fans are coming out of the woodwork, with over two thirds (67 per cent) of British workers planning to watch the World Cup despite only 58 per cent regularly following the nation’s favourite sport.

Last December’s draw put England in Group G with Belgium, Tunisia and Panama, with the first games currently scheduled at times which will be more pleasing for office workers nationwide.

But many footy fanatics want to watch every game. Those polled said they’re already bagging days off to watch the big games while others frantically try to swap shifts, as only a third of bosses have agreed to screen matches that fall during working hours.

Some 19 per cent will take strategically-timed lunch breaks to allow them to catch a glimpse of the action. And it’s northerners who are set to be most distracted, with three quarters of North West workers keeping track of the competition, while a third of those in Yorkshire plan to watch every single match, regardless of the time they’re shown.

Catherine Bannan, HR Manager at Printerland.co.uk, said: “There’s no doubt that the World Cup will dominate the water cooler talk across the nation’s offices this summer but it’s important to make sure the impact on productivity is minimised.

“Being too strict with staff could make them more likely to commit the workplace offences our research uncovered. Instead, bosses should look to compromise with their workers, perhaps by setting up a TV in the break room for staff to watch on their lunch or agreeing to host a World Cup after-work party!”

Check out Printerland’s infographic here.