January 19, 2009

BusinessWeek

Inauguration: And Now, an Obama Break

Many companies hope to tap into the general enthusiasm surrounding Jan. 20, mostly because they want to recognize the historic significance of Obama’s presidency (in appropriately nonpartisan ways, of course), but also because there is so little else employees can get excited about these days.

Companies that are making plans for Inauguration Day don’t expect their employees to slack off altogether. Besides, aren’t we all multitasking anyway? An hour here, a few minutes there:  Most businesses will barely notice the disruption.

“It’s not a disruption if you control it,” says Richard Chaifetz, the head of ComPsych, the country’s biggest provider of employee assistance programs. He noted that many organizations will be setting aside time to watch inauguration proceedings during the lunch hour (Obama’s speech is conveniently scheduled for noon EST, during most people’s meal time).