Jürgen Klinsmann, head coach of the USA World Cup team, is encouraging fans to take off work for Thursday's match against Germany, and he's even provided a ready-to-go handwritten letter for them to give employers.
"I understand that this absence may reduce the productivity of your workplace, but I can assure you that it is for an important cause," Klinsmann wrote. "The #USMNT [U.S. Men's National Team] has a critical World Cup game vs Germany and we will need the full support of the nation if we are to advance to the next round."
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"By the way, you should act like a good leader and take the day off as well. Go USA! Signed Jurgen Klinsmann, Head Coach, U.S. National team."
Team USA faces off against Germany right smack in the middle of the workday Thursday at 12 p.m. EST, presenting employees everywhere with a major dilemma: go to work or play hooky and watch the game.
About 16 million people tuned in to see the U.S. beat Ghana in the June 16 World Cup match. Challenger Gray & Christmas, a consulting firm in Chicago, estimates that if Thursday's game attracts as many viewers, U.S. employers would lose about $390 million in wages (assuming that half of viewers are at work, and the average American worker makes $48.76 per hour).
"I tell my staff, 'The World Cup isn't paying your wages,'" Brian Summers, a sales manager at
Colonial Life and Colonial Voluntary Benefits in New York, told Bloomberg. "If you want to dodge out for a game, someone else will pick up your sales."
But some bosses figure that allowing employees to watch the game could result in boosted productivity before or after the match. Watching the World Cup and rooting for Team USA could also foster employee bonding and, in turn, better intra-office relations.
"Smart companies are thinking we might lose a bit of productivity but we gain from creating tighter relationships," John Challenger, chief executive of the Chicago consulting firm, said.
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