Your office may be more empty than usual today because there’s something going around. Between the flu, norovirus and RSV, it seems like everyone is getting sick or just getting over it, but today, it’s less likely one of those illnesses is to blame for employees being absent. Instead, a new survey suggests a record number of people will be taking today off because it’s the day after the Super Bowl.
According to the annual survey of 1,220 employed adults from The Harris Poll for The Workforce Institute at UKG, an estimated 22.6-million Americans plan to miss work today. That’s up 40% (16.1-million) from last year’s total and it breaks a previous record of 18.8-million employees who said they’d be out in 2023.
UKG has been tracking the big game’s impact on employee absenteeism and productivity for two decades and the numbers show:
- This year’s 22.6-million workers who don’t plan to work today include 3.2-million who said they’re calling in sick, as well as 3.2-million who admit they’ll be “ghosting” their employer by skipping work without telling their employer.
- But some folks are following the rules, including the 12.9-million who are taking a pre-approved day off.
- Another 4.8-million will be out today thanks to swapping shifts with a coworker so they can have Super Bowl Monday off.
- Plus, an estimated 12.9-million Americans say they’ll be going into work late today.
- More than a third (36%) of employees who planned to watch the Super Bowl confess they’ll be less productive at work today.
- Overall, 43% of employed Americans think the Monday after the Super Bowl should be a national holiday.
Source: Outkick