Super Bowl Monday

 

 

It’s a three-day weekend. The beginning of the Super Bowl LVI Celebration! Well, not really, but it might as well be.

According to a 2020 survey by the Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated, an estimated 17.5 million Americans annual miss work the day after the Super Bowl. Two-thirds of those employees will use approved time off, allowing shift coverage or rescheduling of work.

But the remainder, almost 5-million employees plan to call in sick even though they're really not ill; and that doesn’t consider the lack of production of those who attempt to work. As a result, school districts across the nation, including more than 20 Cincinnati area schools have announced closures for the Monday following the Super Bowl. Cincinnati Bengals plan to party! With the popularity of the National Football League (NFL), other districts have followed suit.

Should we accept the inevitable an establish Super Bowl Monday a national holiday? There is a growing sentiment among employers (more than 40%) that favor implementing this. Another, two-thirds (63%) believe the Super Bowl should be moved to the Sunday night before Presidents Day, or one week later, which is already a national holiday.

Traditionalists feel this trend muddies workplace expectations. We should be expected to develop a healthy balance between work and personal life, use leave time for doctor’s appointments, teacher’s conferences, and religious observations. In truth, managers are often challenged with staffing on the day before long weekends, snow days, and other unplanned absences or slowdowns in production due to personal calls, extended breaks, and non-work internet usage.

Yes, that struggle is real. Each year, we are flooded with articles detailing the work-force effects of Cyber Monday; in 2021 estimated that scouring the internet for online deals would cost employers $449.8 million in lost productivity!

So, where do we go? As a manager, I had to concede that an occasional unplanned family issue was unavoidable and if I did not respond favorably to the request for time off, it would result in employee discord. Usage of employee-owned computers for personal use was well-defined in the Employee Handbook, but rarely enforced as the advent of cell phones made it a moot point.

Did I look the other way? Well, not really. Like other progressive managers, I reinforced my expectations, and proactively rewarded staff for their dedication to the organization. I offered early dismissal on the Friday before Memorial Day and Labor Day, and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving ensured staff would not call out. Allowing “comp” time to allow staff to attend school activities, sporting events and concerts gave me credibility when I requested an extra effort.Most expressed satisfaction with their jobs and provided time-off requests to ensure that our agency could continue to provide quality services to the community.