A model developed by the Swedish firm Before, utilizing staff questionnaires, found that time spent talking about office relationships, personal problems and other office gripes could add up to $2.86 million in lost revenues annually, the local newspaper Sydsvenska Dagbladet reported.

In an average Swedish business, griping can take up to 12 percent of work time, estimated Before spokesman Lars Andersson. The company developed its model quantifying costs as a way of reducing the amount of time wasted.

"We managed to cut the cost of the time wasted to 6.2 million kronor per year by using our model," Andersson told Sydsvenska Dagbladet.