During NCAA tourney, bet on a loss in productivity

March Madness could be madder than ever this year.

Mad as in crazy fun for workers who tap into CBS Sports' free online broadcast of the NCAA basketball tournament at their desks; mad as in just plain peeved for employers tallying lost work hours.

A Chicago firm that tracks workplace issues estimates that employers will lose $3.8 billion in wages paid to workers who will be too busy cheering their teams on through the brackets to build spreadsheets or write reports on their desktops by the time the championship game is played April 3.

''Even people who do not follow college basketball for the entire season can easily get wrapped up in the excitement of March Madness," said John A. Challenger, chief executive of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Working with Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data and information from the Internet tracking firm Hitwise about time spent on the ESPN.com college hoops site during last year's tournament, the firm estimated that if fans spend just 13.5 minutes per day online keeping up with the action, the cost could be $3.8 billion.

Strict employers do have computer-usage policies to fall back on, noted Lynda Slevoski, vice president of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, a business group with 7,500 members.

''But do I think workers might try to sneak a look at the games at lunch or during the day if one of their favorite teams is playing?" she said. ''Yes, I do."

DIANE E. LEWIS

DOES YOUR PRODUCTIVITY GO DOWN DURING MARCH MADNESS? Fess up at boston.com/business.