First published on Friday, February 7, 2025
Last updated on Friday, February 7, 2025
The Super Bowl isn’t just about touchdowns and halftime shows—our stats show it’s also one of the biggest days for employee absences. Whether it’s celebrating a big win, recovering from a late-night party, or just needing an extra day to unwind, Super Bowl Monday has become notorious for calling in sick for Canadian employees.
For businesses, this can mean unexpected staffing shortages. It can also cause disruptions to workflow and put added pressure on those who do show up for work. So, what can you do to prepare as the Super Bowl 2025 approaches?
Take a cue from Super Bowl 2024 absence stats
Each year, our absence management stats, taken from over 7,000 Canadian businesses shows there’s a noticeable spike in absences on the Monday after the Super Bowl, and 2024 was no exception.
On February 12, there was a 32.7% increase in sick days compared to an average Monday. With so many employees calling in sick it became the 9th biggest sick day of the year.
But you don’t have to worry about all your employees leaving it to the last minute and calling in sick. Some staff planned ahead, with over 1,000 employees booking vacation days in advance, showing many anticipated needing an extra recovery day. The benefit was that this allowed some employers to plan for these absences and avoid working with a skeleton crew come Super Bowl Monday.
Plan ahead to avoid getting blitzed by unexpected call ins
These numbers will likely keep growing year on year. Meaning businesses need to be prepared to handle both planned and unplanned absences to maintain productivity and operational efficiency. How?
Encourage your staff to plan their absences ahead of time and book time off in advance where possible. By investing in an easy-to-use vacation management tool, employees can request time off anywhere, anytime. This will ensure your business doesn’t drop the ball on post-game day productivity.
Tackle absenteeism with BrightHR’s game winning tools and services
Managing absences effectively is key to keeping business operations smooth, especially on peak absence days like Super Bowl Monday. Having an all-encompassing absence management software helps employers stay ahead of unexpected shortages by:
Tracking absences in real-time so you can quickly adjust staffing levels
Encouraging proactive planning with an easy-to-use vacation request system
Manage expectations with clear and readily available absence management policies
Ensuring fairness and transparency by providing clear visibility into who is off and when
With the right absence management tools in place, you’ll reduce last-minute disruptions, avoid burnout for available staff, and keep operations running smoothly—even after the biggest game of the year.
Whether it’s Super Bowl Monday or any other major event, BrightHR gives you the tools you need to manage absences effortlessly. Want to see how it works? Book a demo today!
