The start of the Beijing Olympic games on Friday will significantly distract UK employees and lead to lost revenue, a leading firm has warned.
Businesses across the UK could lose up to £60,000 as workers take their eye off the ball over the next three weeks, said the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR).
The increased use of mobile phones, news feeds and the internet in the workplace will make it easier for employees to keep up with their favourite events, the Guardian reported.
Heather Hancock, Deloitte's managing partner for innovation and brand commented: "The way we consume news has changed and what we are likely to see is employees getting a quick sporting fix in bite-sized chunks and then getting on with their work".
The BBC plans to cover 300 hours of the games, with the majority being broadcast live between 2am and 6pm.
However, there will be a daily summary at 19:00 for those whose working hours clash with the events.
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