Analysis: What the Stanley Cup is costing Chicago in lost worker productivity

The Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup win has resulted in a loss for many Chicago-area employers, a Sun-Times analysis has found. While fans who are employed in the local labor market have relished the victory, their workloads have sat neglected, contributing to a substantial loss in worker productivity. Based partially on methods developed by the outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas — which has studied worker productivity levels following major national sports events — the Sun-Times analysis found that the Stanley Cup victory has cost employers in several ways.

“In Chicago, it’s significant,” said Andrew Challenger, Vice President of the firm. “We have a lot of Blackhawks fans and a lot of wages that are going to be paid to distracted workers or those who don’t show up.”

But, Challenger explained, the loss in productivity often comes with a positive effect on the workplace: Although employees may chat about the game instead of answering the phone or finishing a report, their shared experience is good for camaraderie, moral and corporate culture. “Other than lost wages, they (the employers) don’t have to pay for it. They can really take advantage,” Challenger said.

Scroll through these graphics to see how, and how much, the Stanley Cup win has cost Chicago-area employers’ bottom line:

1.) COSTS FROM WORKER DISTRACTION

Of the…

about …

According to the latest Nielsen Scarborough survey of Chicago sports fans

Based on the Chicago metro area’s average hourly wage of:

If each worker spent about:

…the lost productivity would be

$4.04 per worker,

for a total of:

2.) COSTS FROM WORKERS CALLING IN SICK

Studies by the Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated show that the day after major sports events, such as the Super Bowl, about:

This rate applied to employed Chicago-area Blackhawks fans results in:

With the average hourly wage of $24.23, an 8-hour work day would result in a loss of:

per worker, for a Chicago-area total of:

3.) COSTS FROM WORKERS ATTENDING THURSDAY’S PARADE

Following the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup win in 2013, an estimated

Based on that turnout and given that about half of Chicago-area residents are classified as employed workers, the parade crowd includes approximately:

But not all of these workers will be gone the entire day to attend the parade. If the average worker spends 4 hours away at the parade and/or rally, the loss would be:

per worker, for a Chicago-area total of:

Combining all three types of losses to employers results in a total of:

Or just slightly more than double what the Blackhawks are expected to have made in profits this past season.