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Report: Co-workers socializing about ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Avengers’ hurting productivity

Consulting firm Robert Half found that more than 30% of workers are distracted by socializing and “watercooler talk” while on the job.

News 12 Staff

May 1, 2019, 11:58 PM

Updated 2,031 days ago

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Last weekend featured several important pop culture milestones – the release of the highly-anticipated Marvel movie “Avengers: Endgame,” and the third episode of the final season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” titled “The Long Night.”
The movie and the episode had thousands of people discussing them the next day, including at work. It seems that all of the discussions of everyone’s favorite parts or favorite theories may have hurt businesses’ productivity.
Consulting firm Robert Half found that more than 30% of workers are distracted by socializing and “watercooler talk” while on the job, while 25% are distracted by non-business-related internet use.
Robert Half’s regional vice president Jeffrey Menzel says that managers can help their staff stay on track.
“You can get ahead of it and talk about what just happened in the most recent episode or what just happened in the big game, the night prior,” Menzel says. “You can almost get that out of the way and then jump into the agenda of the meeting of the day so that you can help structure a successful day for your employees.”
Business experts say that bosses who give their employees the right incentives will get the best output out of them.