Citigroup employees allowed to watch World Cup

LAN Communications, a systems integrator and professional services company today announced a deal for Citibank (part of Citigroup, NYSE: C) that will allow its 1,200 employees to tune into regular live or pre-recorded video broadcasts, including the World Cup games, from their desktops.

As Irish companies prepare for soccer fever, it is estimated that absenteeism during the World Cup will cost industry millions per hour through lost productivity according to research conducted by UK-based employment consultancy, Hedron.

It is expected that the two qualifying games against Germany on Wednesday, June 5 and Saudi Arabia five days later, both with kick-off times of 12.30pm, will cause most problems for employers.