Guess what office distraction cost firms up to $13 billion in lost productivity? August 12, 2014 Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a Chicago-based outplacement consultancy, calculated this $13 billion lost in productivity, states that its motive was to highlight the cost of distractions in the office. “We are not trying to demonize fantasy football,” CEO John A. Challenger states. “It’s important to understand that there are more distractions than ever in today’s workplace. If it’s not fantasy football, it’s the latest Hollywood gossip, shopping on Amazon, or checking Facebook.”