22.6 million employees will likely catch the "Super Bowl Flu"
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"Super Bowl Flu" (or Super Sick Monday) is poised to strike again, with the UKG Workforce Institute estimating that 22.6 million employees will miss work the Monday after the Chiefs and Eagles face off in Super Bowl LIX.
Why it matters: That breaks the previous record of 18.1 million in 2023 (also a Chiefs-Eagles match-up).
Monday isn't an official holiday, but that's not for lack of trying.
- The Indiana legislature introduced a bill this week and there are several petitions currently collecting signatures.
- Forty-three percent of employees believe it should be — up from 37% in 2024, according to a UKG survey.
- Companies, including Chipotle and Coors Light, are also offering special Monday promotions.
Here's what U.S. employees plan to do:
- 🤧 3.2 million will call in sick
- 👻 3.2 will "ghost" their employer on Monday
- 🗓️ 12.9 have already taken a pre-approved day off
- 🫱🏽🫲🏾 4.8 say they will swap shifts with a co-worker so they don't have to work on Monday
An additional 12.9 million people plan to go into work late on Monday and 8 million are undecided.
The other side: Although there is a record number of absences expected, the UKG survey shows "increased transparency among employees, people managers and organizations," this year.
- Outside of Super Bowl Monday, 68% percent of employees say they talk to their managers before requesting time off (up from 62% in 2024).
What they're saying: "Although a record number of employees plan to miss work on Monday, we continue to see forward progress with managers and employees having more open conversations about taking the day off, swapping shifts, or making arrangements to come in late so that the business is covered," Julie Develin, senior partner of HCM advisory at UKG, said in a statement Tuesday.
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