While football fans and commercial lovers have called for Super Bowl Monday to be a national holiday for years, their efforts have gone unrewarded. Nonetheless, 22.6 million working Americans will still miss work on Monday.
According to a new report from the HR technology firm UKG, Americans are getting ready to miss work the day after the big game, through a variety of ways. The report cited data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The report highlighted that more Americans will miss work on Monday this year, with the number estimated to be 22.6 million, than the previous record set in 2023, 18.8 million. On top of those who will be absent, another 12.9 million workers intend to arrive late to work.
While Americans are showing up late, or not at all, it shouldn’t be a surprise to employers, as the report highlighted that 43% of working Americans want Super Bowl Monday to be a national holiday. The report noted that 12.9 million Americans already have pre-approved leave for Monday as well as 4.8 million workers who have swapped shifts, highlighting that many prepare to take the day off.
However, another 3.2 million are expected to call in sick despite being fine, and another 3.2 million plan on not showing up without letting anyone know.
Still, the report notes that discussing time off with managers is growing increasingly common in the workplace, showing a healthy stride toward communication and transparency.
“Although a record number of employees plan to miss work on Monday, we continue to see forward progress with managers and employees having more open conversations about taking the day off, swapping shifts, or making arrangements to come in late so that the business is covered,” Julie Develin, senior partner of HCM advisory at UKG, shared in the report.
As for those who show up to work despite staying up to watch the game, the report found that 40% of employees and 49% of managers will be distracted at work. Another 36% of employees say they will be less productive.
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The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to draw a crowd as they attempt to win their third straight Super Bowl, something no team has ever done. They face off against the Philadelphia Eagles, who are looking for revenge after losing to the Chiefs at the start of their Super Bowl run in 2023.
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