Fewer Employees Will Touch Down Monday after the Super Bowl
Some people are Patriots fans. Others are rooting for the Rams. But for many, the highlight of Super Bowl Sunday is the food (and booze). This inevitably results in an increase in employee absenteeism the Monday following the big game. Huddle with your team today so you’ll have a game plan ready for Monday!
Friday Hudd
It is estimated that 17.2 million employees in the U.S. will miss work on Monday. While some of them have planned ahead and requested PTO that day, about 4.7 million are expected to call in sick, even though “football-itis” isn’t even a real disease.
Employee absenteeism on the day after the Super Bowl is nothing new; The Workforce Institute at Kronos began tracking it in 2005 and has come away with some interesting data on the phenomenon. For starters, regular employees won’t be the only ones failing to suit up on Monday; bosses will also be calling a timeout from the office. In fact, 36 percent of executives and senior management team members are expected to deviate from their normal working hours this Monday, compared to 20 percent of mid-level employees. The reason for this is pretty clear: lower-level workers are more afraid of “offsite penalties” than those higher up in the ranks. There is good reason for them to be concerned, it turns out; 62 percent of managers suspect an employee isn’t really ill when he or she calls in sick the Monday following the Super Bowl. How they react to these absences varies; laws differ from state to state, but in many cases, you are prohibited from requesting a doctor’s note for a single day’s absence, so as much as you may want to cry foul, you’ll pretty much have to take your employee at their word.
This doesn’t mean you can’t coach your staff ahead of time to ensure adequate coverage for the next day.
The oddsmakers in Las Vegas may be split over the outcome of this year’s Super Bowl, but one thing seems certain: this Monday’s absenteeism rate is predicted to be higher than in any previous year tracked, according to a poll conducted by The Workforce Institute at Kronos. The trick is to have a plan ready, so you aren’t left scrambling. This is especially important in a medical facility, where staffing shortages can result in poor patient care and lead to increased safety concerns. Don’t fumble away your opportunity for strong coverage – tackle the problem head-on instead!
Recruiting backup staff for Monday is a smart offensive move. Unlike the actual game, there won’t be any referees to penalize you for having “too many men on the field,” so consider overstaffing for Monday and expanding your on-call list.
Those employees who do show up on Monday might be suffering the aftereffects of too much armchair cheering, which could result in negative productivity yardage or a delay of game, in the form of tardiness. You might consider showing your appreciation by providing breakfast treats for those who do come in from the sidelines or bringing in lunch. And there is bound to be extra water-cooler chatter as Brady fans square off against Goff supporters. Take it all in stride and be thankful that the Super Bowl only occurs once a year!