UK Productivity Surges – But 1 in 4 Skip Work for the World Cup

New research from Ipsos MORI shows that nearly one in four respondents indicated they will skip work due to the World Cup, scheduled to run until July 15th.

The news may come as a blow to employers and overall UK productivity, despite earlier data from the Office of National Statistics showing that in the last two quarters of 2017, productivity in the UK had grown by 0.9pc and 0.7pc respectively, representing the strongest growth in productivity since 2011.

However, a study by the Institute of Leadership and Management stated that 77% of workers said watching sporting events in the office is good for morale, and 75% of managers would allow staff to watch or listen to sporting events in the office, both of which in turn could have a positive impact on workplace productivity.

Despite the high number of UK respondents indicating that they would skip work, 96% of adults in the UK surveyed by Ipsos Mori said they didn’t think that England would win the overall competition.