Super Bowl Monday Absenteeism Hits Record High, Costing Billions
Event summary
- An estimated 26.21 million U.S. employees plan to miss work on Super Bowl Monday 2026, surpassing the 22.6 million who missed work in 2025.
- This absenteeism is projected to cost upwards of $5.2 billion in lost productivity.
- Employee tactics include taking pre-approved days off (13.1 million), swapping shifts (6.5 million), and a smaller number 'ghosting' work (1.6 million).
- Nearly 8.2 million employees are still undecided about their Super Bowl Monday plans, indicating potential for further staffing challenges.
The big picture
UKG's annual survey highlights a growing trend of employees prioritizing leisure over work, even as employers grapple with the economic consequences. The $5.2 billion potential loss underscores the increasing importance of workforce management technology and proactive planning, particularly for industries reliant on frontline workers. This also signals a potential shift in employee expectations regarding work-life balance and the role of employers in accommodating personal preferences.
What we're watching
- Holiday Momentum
- The increasing desire for Super Bowl Monday to be a national holiday, coupled with the Valentine’s Day/Presidents’ Day overlap in 2027, will likely intensify pressure on employers to address workforce planning around major events.
- Frontline Strain
- Frontline-heavy organizations will need to develop increasingly creative staffing solutions to manage absences, given the difficulty of shift changes and the prevalence of weekend work.
- Proactive Planning
- The continued reliance on UKG data by employers suggests that proactive workforce planning and communication will become increasingly critical to mitigate the financial impact of absenteeism.
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