As women come forward alleging sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the Senate Judiciary Committee set a hearing Thursday at 10 A.M. ET for accuser Christine Blasey Ford to testify. Employees across the nation will likely be captivated by the proceedings, potentially costing employers nearly $2 billion per hour, according to an estimate released Tuesday from global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

Based on the number of workers who use the Internet at work and are interested in politics, one hour spent on following the hearing could cost employers nearly $1.8 billion.

$25.39: Average hourly wage, according to July 2018 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

90,130,268: Number of Americans who use the Internet at work, according to November 2017 data from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

82%: Percentage of employed Americans who work on an average weekday, according to the BLS's 2017 Time Use Survey.

94%: Percentage of workers who discuss politics at work, according to a 2016 Challenger survey.
90,130,268 x 82% =
73,906,820: Estimated number of workers who use the Internet at work during an average weekday.

73,906,820 x 94% =
69,472,411: Estimated number of Internet-using workers who are interested in politics/likely to watch or follow updates on the hearing.

69,472,411 x $25.39 =
$1,763,904,515: Estimated cost of lost productivity to employers per hour of workers following the Blasey Ford testimony.

CONTACT         
Colleen Madden, Director of Public Relations
Office: 312-422-5074
Mobile: 314-807-1568
colleenmadden@challengergray.com