How much is the eclipse going to cost your company?

Traffic chaos, industrial shutdown - and a commercial cost to the UK of around half a billion pounds, according to the London Chamber of Commerce.
When we all vacate our offices and make for the streets today to watch (or not according to the predicted cloud cover) the eclipse, we could be costing our employers dear, says the London Chamber of Commerice - who have predicted a cost of £100 million to the South East alone for the rare solar event. As the skies darken, they say, we are also going to be darkening our corporate balance sheets.

Simon Sperryn, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce said: "There could also be disruption to much of the rest of the UK, so the final cost to business nationally might be up to around half a billion pounds."

"The build-up to the eclipse and its immediate aftermath could be rather
unproductive as people are away from their workplaces watching it. Few
people will want to be inside a building, travelling, delivering goods,
shopping, working or doing business generally and miss such a momentous
event."

"We urge common sense and compromise to prevail. Firms should take a
flexible approach and workers should act responsibly as regards having time
off to watch the event. We would hope that staff will respond by making up
any lost time spent watching it."

Now how much time are you going to be spending watching the skies instead of sitting dutifully at your desk? Remember, every FM has a responsibility to contribute positively to the bottom line of the company.... (!)