Fantasy football's back — so long, productivity?

It’s football season again, and you know what that means — time for many of your employees to pretend they’re managing their own NFL team, often at the company’s expense.
Just how big is the blow to employers? One study by Challenger, Gray and Christmas, Inc., estimates a nationwide productivity loss of between $275 to $435 million each week of the season. With 17 weeks of football, those numbers really add up.
Another study by the Sporting Goods Marketing Association says fantasy footballers spend an average of 45 minutes every day managing their teams.
That’s a lot of time in the week, much of which is likely done between 9 and 5 — especially considering leagues are often formed among co-workers. What’s HR to do?
Experts warn against blanket bans. Allowing participation can help build camaraderie, and there are plenty of responsible folks who can play the game and still get all their work done.
Your best bet: Have managers tackle productivity problems on a case-by-case basis. There are infinite ways employees can waste time, and you can’t ban them all.