Employers may find some of their team members sidelined on Monday, calling in sick the day after the 2019 Super Bowl.
An estimated 17.2 million U.S. workers say they may not report to work that day. About 7.8 million will be using a pre-approved day off but 4.7 million will take a last-minute sick day even though they are not—cough, cough—ill.
"This year marks the largest anticipated day of Super Bowl-related absenteeism we've seen since The Workforce Institute at Kronos began tracking this phenomenon in 2005," said Joyce Maroney, the institute's executive director.
Bosses will be among the absentees, according to the Super Bowl Fever Survey commissioned by The Workforce Institute and conducted by Harris Poll with 1,107 employed adults in January.
More than one-third (36 percent) of senior-level/executive leaders said they may not work their normal hours on Monday after the Super Bowl, compared to 20 percent of junior and mid-level employees who are a little more uncomfortable about the consequences of not showing up for work.
"Many younger employees report feeling more anxious about missing this Monday than any other Monday of the year," Maroney said. That suggests "they do not feel comfortable having an open and honest conversation with their manager" about taking time off. It also points to the importance of employers being transparent about staffing needs and scheduling options.
What those younger employees may not know: Nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of senior-level/executive leaders think it's funny when co-workers call in sick the day after the Super Bowl, when they suspect the absent team members are not really under the weather, according to the Harris Poll.
Have a Game Plan
The surge in expected absences Feb. 4 means employers may scramble to ensure they don't fumble adequate shift coverage.
"While being short-staffed for just a day may not seem like a big deal," Maroney said, "it can create serious challenges in an environment like a health care facility, where lacking enough people with appropriate skills or certifications can present a patient-safety and compliance liability."
And a glut of unscheduled absences at some businesses, such as at a coffee shop, could cause those employers to close for the day, pointed out Joshua Nadreau. He is a labor and employment associate at Fisher & Phillips law firm in Boston.
Employers should prepare by overscheduling employees or expanding the on-call list—but tread carefully, he warned.
"You're going to want to be compliant with any advance-scheduling laws, as well as making sure you're compliant with any on-call pay regulations. The employer is buying the employee's availability. Make sure you talk to your in-house employment counsel, so you don't accidentally run afoul of those regulations."
Source: OfficeTeam online survey of more than 1,000 U.S. workers employed in office environments and more than 2,800 senior managers at organizations with 20 or more employees in 28 major U.S. cities.
Employers also should be aware of state regulations that do not allow them to verify whether someone who calls in sick is truly ill, he added. In some states, such as Massachusetts, employers cannot request a doctor's note except in very specific instances.
"In many of these states, if an employee calls in and says, 'I can't come in; I'm sick,' that's the end" of the conversation, Nadreau said.
Employers concerned about a significant absence on Monday should consider offering a complimentary breakfast or company swag, such as a sweatshirt, to make going to work more desirable, he suggested.
Be aware that employees reporting to work might be tired or suffering the after-effects of too much partying, resulting in a decline in output and production. And some may trail into work late—an estimated 3.1 million expect to do so, according to the Harris Poll. Employees also may spend more time than usual talking about the game and the commercials, surfing the Web and reading press articles about the event when they should be working, Nadreau said.
For employees who have to work on Sunday, employers might consider making time for them to watch the game.
"Organizations should see what they can do to support employees who want to watch a little bit of the game," Maroney suggested. "That could be as simple as setting up an extra TV in the break room with some snacks to have a watch party during their breaks or halftime."
Weaknesses Revealed
The surge in absences "can create a flashpoint that exposes whether an organization's policies and procedures around scheduling and time off are actually working," Maroney said.
"Organizations should regularly review, refine and communicate their time-off policies" and have procedures in place that allow employees to request and receive time off in real time and easily swap shifts with little or no manager intervention.
Show appreciation to employees who do report to work Monday. Provide breakfast or give out company merchandise, as Nadreau suggested. Let people start work late or telecommute, Maroney added. The Harris Poll found about 12.5 million people plan to telework on Monday.
"Most importantly," Maroney said, "encourage employees to be honest about their intentions so they can take the day off ahead of time if possible."