Fantasy football costly to employers

CHICAGO, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Fantasy football will cost U.S. employers $9.2 billion in lost work time this season, a private research group said.

Business researchers Challenger, Gray & Christmas said Monday the 17-week National Football League schedule will subtract 1.19 hours of productivity per week from about 17 million Americans who participate.

Using salaries information supplied by the Fantasy Sports Association, the average fantasy footballer earns $80,000 per year with 70 percent of the participants earning between $50,000 and $149,000.

That amounts to an average loss of $45.22 per week per player, Challenger, Gray & Christmas said.

"Most employers understand that not every minute of the day is dedicated to work. In fact, in today's 24-7 global economy, it is likely that work bleeds into our personal lives," said Chief Executive Officer John Challenger.

Clearly, 17 million workers sacked is unlikely, but Challenger advocated for leaving well enough alone.

"Managers should only crack down on those whose work is clearly suffering from the added distraction. An across-the-board ban on all fantasy football or sports Web sites could backfire in the form of reduced morale and loyalty," he said.