- Office absenteeism is expected to hit a post-Super Bowl record this year. An estimated 22.6 million employed Americans will not show up for work on Monday, a 40% increase over last year.
As much as you might have enjoyed the Super Bowl party you hosted or went to last night, you might have been regretting that good time when your alarm went off this morning. If you struggled your way into the office, good for you. If you decided to use a sick day, though, you were far from alone.
A study from human resources tech form UKG estimates 22.6 million employed Americans will not be showing up for work today. That’s a huge surge from the 16.1 million that had a case of the Super Bowl flu (or some other excuse) last year and tops the previous record of 18.8 million. (That last record, by the way, was set during the last matchup of the Chiefs and Eagles, ironically.)
Here’s how the absences will break down, according to UKG. Some 3.2 million people will call in sick, even though they’re not. Another 3.2 million will just not show up and not say why. About 4.8 million will swap their shift with a co-worker. And 12.9 million had the foresight to schedule the day off.
Dragging, but not quite to the point that you want to burn a sick or vacation day? You’re not alone there, either. Another 12.9 million workers say they plan to go into work late.
The Big Game is something of a Big Productivity sap. Yesterday, for example, an estimated 17.7 million people in the U.S. planned to watch at least some of the game while at work. That included one in 10 managers as well.
Meanwhile, of the folks who DID show up for work today, 40% or so are having their focus distracted by coverage of the Super Bowl, rewatching the commercials or the litany of stories (and back-stories) about last night’s halftime show.
The day after the Super Bowl has been proposed as a national holiday, usually by the same folks who redefine excess at those aforementioned parties. Demand is on the rise, though. UKG reports 43% of employed Americans would favor the holiday, up from 37% in 2024.