May the Boss be with you
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May 4, 1999: 4:53 p.m. ET
Report warns of mass absenteeism as workers take off for "Star Wars" debut
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - If you're planning to skip work to catch the premier of "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace," be careful who you sit next to: it just might be your boss.
A new report released Tuesday warns that the Force -- as in "work force" -- may not be with employers on May 19, the day the hyper-hyped film is scheduled to open.
The international outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. said the opening day could result in the most widespread planned absenteeism in the country's history as fans descend upon theaters like throngs of maddened Ewoks.
"Yoda said I could go."
The firm said the potential price tag for making Wookie on opening day could reach a Jabba the Hutt-sized $293 million in a single day of lost wages.
The company also said an estimated 2.2 million full-time employees -- or roughly the population of Utah -- could skip work to see "The Phantom Menace" premier.
"Where were you yesterday?"
For all you intergalactic stat freaks -- and we know you're out there -- this group of fans would have about 1 million more bodies than the active personnel in all branches of the armed services and more than the combined visitor attendance for the White House and Graceland in 1998.
The $293 million figure does not include the $93.2 million typically lost due to average daily absenteeism of 700,000 full-time workers.
Of course, with all these defections, bosses could go over to the dark side and come down on their workers like Darth Vader on a bad helmet day.
So how do you calm down a raging supervisor bent on slicing your career with a light saber?
Use the force, Luke, use the force
-- by staff writer Rob Lenihan
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