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Germans might be allowed to turn up late to work the day after World Cup games

Germans might be allowed to turn up late to work the day after World Cup games

Germans are renowned for their efficiency and diligent workforce, but Hans and Wolfgang's productivity could be significantly lowered the day after World Cup games.

According to The Guardian, German Union bosses have asked that workers be allowed to start later the day after Die Mannschaft's games in Brazil, as the five-hour time difference means that many of them have late kick-off times:

"It would a noble move by employers if they showed a bit of flexibility during the World Cup," said Robert Feiger, head of the construction, engineering and forestry union IGBAU. "For Germany games after 10pm, work should start a little bit later if possible."

"Employers and work councils should talk about rearranging shifts so that their staff can watch World Cup games," said Michael Vassiliadis of IG BCE, a union representing the mining, chemicals and recycling industries, where early shifts often start at 6am.

German tabloid Bild claim that several employers' associations have already agreed to the proposals, giving much of the workforce the opportunity to enjoy the games without being too tired for their shift at the BMW/bratwurst/German stereotype factory the next day.

The proposals seem pretty generous, as two of Germany's three group stage games kick off at 6pm CET, with only one at 9pm. They only get later at the Round of 16 stage, but nothing kicks off later than 10pm. This isn't too bad when considering the fact that some La Liga games start at 11pm local time.

Over in England, meanwhile, nothing has been done to assist the workforce during the tournament, but Prime Minister David Cameron has overruled the Home Office to ensure pubs are kept open for the Italy match that starts at 11pm. Which neatly sums up the two nations' priorities.

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Ryan Bailey

is a writer for Dirty Tackle on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!