The Day After Super Sunday & Skipping Work

A staggering number of people will be playing hooky from work next Monday. The reason has a whole lot to do with Super Sunday and the Super Bowl game.

The annual UKG Super Bowl Fever Absenteeism Survey estimates the number of people who’ll miss work is 26.2 million. That’s up from the 2025 record-setting 22.6 million.

The cost in productivity and lost work to the nation’s employers is about $5.2 billion. After years of experiencing this kind of thing, employers are kind of used to it. And so are employees.

• 13.1 million are taking a pre-approved day off
• In 2025 that number was 12.9 million
• In 2024 the figure was 10 million
• 6.5 million are going to swap shifts with a co-worker
• That number last year was 4.8 million

This is where things get a bit more shady.

• 3.3 million people plan on calling in sick even though they’re not ill
• Editor’s note: Like an employer is going to buy that one
• 1.6 million plan to “ghost” work without telling their employer
• That’s lower than the 3.2 million in 2025

UKG senior partner, Julie Develin said another 4.9 million workers are just going to plug their noses, not tell their employer, and show up for work late.

“Last year’s record-breaking prediction preceded Super Bowl LIX being the most-watched program in the history of broadcast television — and data shows employees are not only planning for it, but also hoping for an assist from their employer,” Develin said.. “This year, it appears that fewer employees plan to ghost work, and others are proactively swapping shifts. That kind of workforce understanding and insights is a net positive because unplanned absences can quickly add up — potentially costing businesses more than $5 billion in lost productivity.”

The survey found 56% say employers could help things by anticipating work coverage weeks before the game to reduce last-minute troubles from employees who don’t show up, or who show up late.

When you read these numbers, perhaps it’s time for the federal government to declare the Monday after a national holiday. Employees agree and 48% doing the survey agree it ought to get that declaration. It certainly would make it less likely that employees will skip work, call in sick, or arrive late.

“More than 80% of the workforce are in frontline roles where working holidays and weekends are the norm. Whether the Super Bowl is played on a holiday weekend or not, frontline-heavy organizations will need to employ creative staffing techniques,” Develin said. “Shift swaps are a practical reality for frontline teams — trading working Thanksgiving for Christmas, weekends for weekdays — yet other UKG research shows half 9 (50%) of employees say it’s difficult to change shifts at the last minute.”

Editorial comment from Weekly Industry News Editor Gary Wolcott: I live in Washington State. And have lived in the Northwest for most of my life. I’m a Seattle Seahawks fan.

Go Hawks!

Source link: Carrier Management — https://bit.ly/3ZLKMD1