Employers Brace For Worker Time-Off For Obama Inaugural

January 19, 2009 7:23 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - January 20 is an official working day in the U.S., but many employers are prepared to treat it like a holiday, anticipating most workers would prefer to celebrate Barack Obama's swearing in as the 44th American president than toil.

The Society for Human Resource Management estimates 5 percent of business will shut down on Tuesday, while others will open but provide TV sets in the workplace to provide their employees an opportunity to view the historic event.

Aside from a television set, Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health said it will provide their staff free lunch and snacks while viewing the ceremony. New York public relations firm DKC will set aside some hours for its staff to watch the events in Washington, D.C.

These measures may boost worker productivity at a time when many employees are insecure about their jobs and the economy in general, according to productivity experts.

Meanwhile, aside from the tourism industry which is benefiting from the inaugural celebrations, cosmetic surgeons in Washington, D.C. reported a rise in plastic surgery procedures as residents and visitors try to look their best for the various events.

Cosmetic dermatologist Tina Alster said among the popular procedures frequently requested the past few weeks were Botox and microdermabrasion. Laser and cosmetic physician Hema Sundaram reported her workload for cosmetic procedures have increased 100 percent, while requests for hyaluronic acid filler procedures like Perlane and Restylane have almost tripled.