Whether it was the super snack spread, a fourth-quarter Hail Mary, or puffy eyes from an extra heartwarming commercial, employees may struggle to go the extra mile (or yard) on Super Bowl Monday. While Super Bowl Monday hasn’t quite reached national holiday status (there’s a bill introduced out there to make it one!), it doesn’t mean some employees haven’t thought about it.
The Data Lineup
According to a longstanding survey from UKG:
- An estimated 22.6 million U.S. employees plan to miss work the day after the Super Bowl this year (up from 16.1 million last year)
- Over a third (36%) of U.S. employees who plan to watch the Super Bowl this year say they’ll be less productive than they normally are at work the Monday after (up from 30% in 2024)
- 43% of U.S. employees think the Monday after the Super Bowl should be a national holiday—up from 37% who said so in 2024—and more than half (56%) who plan to watch the Super Bowl wish their organization gave them the day off on Monday.
Extra Points for Communication
UKG noticed an increase in communication and transparency amongst employees and employers when planning to take time off on Super Bowl Monday.
- 68% of U.S. employees say they talk to their manager before they submit their time-off requests (vs. 62% in 2024).
- 58% of managers who plan to watch the big game this year say they planned to ask their employees directly about their time-off plans for the Super Bowl (vs. 51% in 2024).
- 55% of U.S. employees say they feel comfortable asking their manager for time off the Monday after the Super Bowl (vs. 50% in 2023).
Many employees would root to have Super Bowl Monday as a paid holiday, but for most organizations, that is not a simple solution.
Paid Holiday Trends
Employers offer an average of nine paid holidays per year, and the most commonly offered are Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day, according to the Employee Benefits Survey: 2024 Survey Report by the International Foundation. However, organizations may have workers who want to observe a wider range of holidays for cultural, religious or other reasons (Super Bowl Monday would fall under “other reasons”).
Floating Holidays
With dozens of holidays to consider, how can organizations ensure that their paid holiday schedule is inclusive of a greater number of workers without losing control of the number of paid days? Offering floating holidays is an option. Floating holidays are paid days off that employees can typically use at any time for any reason (within employer guidelines) and are offered in addition to other paid time off (PTO). More than half (55%) of corporations offer paid floating holidays to their employees, most commonly providing one or two days a year.
Paid Vacation Trends
Most workplaces offer vacation time for employees to use however they see fit. According to the International Foundation’s Paid Leave in the Workplace: 2024 Survey Report, the overwhelming majority (98%) of organizations offer paid vacation. Over three-quarters (77%) of organizations encourage employees to take paid vacation days. Super Bowl Monday might be a perfect opportunity to suggest a vacation day, especially if your team is one of the lucky competitors to make it to the big gig.
Quick Huddle Before Super Bowl Monday
I spoke with Julie Stich, CEBS, Vice President of Content at the International Foundation, asking what companies can do to prepare for Super Bowl Monday, knowing the inevitable lack of productivity, unplanned sick days and late employees. She pointed out that unplanned time off is more disruptive to handle than planned time off. Managers can review and chat with employees about PTO, vacation time, floating holiday arrangements, and flexible and remote work options, with the goal of planning ahead for Super Bowl Monday.
