With the majority of World Cup taking place during work hours, many in the business world expected a decline in productivity and an increase in absenteeism during the most compelling matches. But data from recent surveys indicates that IT professionals will forego supporting their team during the live event to tend to business concerns.
Results from a recent IT Job Board poll show that only 8% of IT staff based in the UK have admitted to calling in sick to watch a particular World Cup match, with nearly two-thirds (62%) saying they do not plan on watching games during work hours.
A similar survey from Tufin Technologies, polling 241 IT professionals, showed that 87% would skip watching a World Cup match if their organization experienced a “major” IT issue during the live event.
Even in the US, where soccer and the World Cup typically receive only a passing interest, Tufin found that a similar portion (80%) of 262 IT professionals polled would step away from the television during the Super Bowl to address a similar crisis if one were to occur during America’s most popular sporting event.