Will Your Workplace Be Ready for the Big Game?

Today's post is submitted by Joyce Maroney, executive director of the Workforce Institute.

Every year about this time, Super Bowl fever starts to grip the nation. Here in Massachusetts - or Patriots Nation as it's known locally - fans are so sure the Patriots will be in the big game that it feels like a big failure when they are not. Even for somebody like me who doesn't otherwise follow football, the big game is exciting. Getting together to watch the game (or half time show and commercials for me) is a fun ritual. Everything about the Super Bowl is excessive, including the party snacks, drinks, and lost sleep

Lots of people here and around the country will miss work due to the after affects of their Sunday evening revelry. Our newest research tells us that an estimated 17.2 million American workers say they may not go to work the Monday after Super Bowl LIII. Nearly 22 million employees may go into work late, leave early, or work remotely/from home on Monday. There are a number of additional interesting nuggets in this research:

• One in three American workers believe the day after the Super Bowl should be a national holiday. What do you think?
• The #SundayScaries are really scary on Super Sunday, especially for your youngest employees. Two out of five employees age 18-34 say they are more likely to have anxiety about going back to work the Monday after the Super Bowl than any other Sunday during the year.
• Managers are taking more advantage of their flexibility than frontline workers. Among bosses, 36% said it was likely they'd take the day off or call in sick vs. only 20% of employees.

Perhaps you feel this absence challenge is inevitable for employers, but there are things you can do to mitigate the impact of the pigskin on your work environment. Below, we've collected some of our favorite advice and resources to help you manage that post-game slump, beginning long before the game. Read on and enjoy the Big Game on Sunday!

• Super Bowl Flu - Who's Out on Monday? - Podcast with Workforce Institute Board members discussing ways to leverage the game to strengthen your employees' experience.
• Check out our infographic on 10 Tips to Avoid Unplanned Absence
• Insightful post from the What Works Blog about the consequences of unplanned absence - and a few more tips to manage it.