Millions of Employees Planning PTO for Taylor Swift's Album Release

If a number of your employees are out of office on Oct. 3, blame Taylor Swift.

Six percent of salaried U.S. employees are taking paid time off (PTO) for the release of the pop star's latest album, "The Life of a Showgirl", according to new data from HR software platform BambooHR, equating to roughly 4 million workers. For self-described fans of the musician, that number jumps to 15%.  

That's more than the 2% of U.S. employees on average who take time off on a typical day, according to the analysis. 

The new findings not only indicate the power that Swift has on the workplace — BambooHR also noted the distraction that Swift's engagement announcement to NFL star Travis Kelce had on workers when it was announced in late August — but also symbolize the influence that cultural events have on the workplace. Just as negative and stressful events often affect productivity and presenteeism at work, fun and positive events can have an impact, too. 

For instance, an estimated 22.6 million employed U.S. workers said they planned to miss work the day after this year's Super Bowl, according to UKG, with roughly half of them saying it was a planned day off.

"When something big is happening in pop culture, people tend to want to be a part of it," said Wende Smith, head of people operations at BambooHR. "Employees have always taken time off for things that are important to them. The idea of taking PTO to listen to Taylor's new album or to attend "The Life of a Showgirl" release party in theaters isn't rare or surprising." 

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'Employees Should Take Their Time Off' 

Ultimately, HR experts said employees taking time off for a personal activity or something they're excited about is the nature of the benefit — and that's a good thing.

"PTO is a positive part of performance and well-being," said Shanna Milford, senior HR director of the Americas at IRIS Software Group. "HR plays a critical role in shaping a culture where taking time off is seen as both healthy and necessary." 

Despite PTO being one of the most popular employee benefits — SHRM has found that paid-leave benefits are tied with retirement benefits as the second most important benefits type — employees often feel guilty about using it, with multiple days of PTO going unused each year. In 2023, for example, 62% of workers with PTO did not use all of their vacation time, letting a third of it go to waste, a report from fintech company Sorbet found. So, employees taking time off for activities they enjoy is a good thing.

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"Employees should take their time off and do what is important to them. This can mean something like an album drop or just sitting at home and tending their garden," Smith said. "What is important is that we encourage employees to take time off to prevent burnout. We have seen that the internet and social media have created fandom pockets for everything imaginable, and employees feeling supported in having rich personal lives outside of work is a critical element of employee well-being."

Planning Ahead 

While employees taking time off and getting a break is largely positive, scores of employees taking the same time period off, like in the case of Swift's album release, can present challenges. But employers don't have to simply shake it off when it happens; they could plan ahead for big moments in pop culture or other upcoming events, experts said.

"If your workforce has a lot of Swifties and shifts need to be covered, see how employees can work together to accommodate each other," Smith said. "Teams that support each other’s personal needs and obligations create strong synergy and loyalty." 

Meanwhile, Smith said, employers should create a culture of regular and open communication that aligns with their company's values. "Have guidelines in place for how far in advance PTO requests need to be made, and then do your best to accommodate them. It's extremely demoralizing for an employee to follow the proper procedures only for their requests to be forgotten or ignored."