Millions of Americans are expected to call in sick the Monday after the Super Bowl as record numbers are tipped to watch the ‘Taylor Bowl’.
In the aftermath of Super Bowl LVIII, as many as 16.1 million workers are expected to succumb to the infamous ‘Super Bowl Flu’, as predicted by the UKG Workforce Institute.
The phenomenon called “Super Sick Monday” is so common that it has spawned petitions and legislative efforts to designate it an official holiday.
Demand for time off has already soared this year, with approximately 10 million workers already pre-emptively requesting a day off after Super Bowl Sunday.
And this year, more people than ever are expected to tune in to the game. A Seton Hall poll shows that Taylor Swift’s presence influences 21 percent of viewers.
Millions of Americans are expected to call in sick the Monday after the Super Bowl as record numbers are tipped to watch the ‘Taylor Bowl’ (Photo: Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift kiss on January 28)
The phenomenon called “Super Sick Monday” is so common that it has spawned petitions and legislative efforts to declare it an official holiday (Photo: Fans react as they watch the San Francisco 49ers play the Kansas City Chiefs during a Super Bowl LIV in 2020)
Swift is in a big hurry to get from Tokyo, Japan, to Las Vegas to see her boyfriend play
According to UKG, around 6.4 million workers also plan to be late for work.
Another 11.2 million workers have said they are ‘unsure’ whether they will ultimately take a day off and 6.4 million say they will decide at the last minute.
Nearly 15 million adults admitted to lying about their illness the day after the Super Bowl, with a surprising 11 percent in leadership positions, according to the survey.
The research alarmingly shows that 6 million of these individuals risked fines at their workplace in the past due to their unannounced absences.
UKG CEO Chris Todd emphasized the importance of recognizing major cultural events as opportunities to promote unity and recognize the existence of life beyond the confines of the workplace.
Speaking to Axios, Todd said: “Every major cultural event is an opportunity to bring people together and, for leaders, a chance to recognize that we have lives outside of work.”
This year, more people will tune in to the game with Taylor Swift’s presence at the Super Bowl – influencing 21 percent to watch (Image: Taylor Swift performing on stage in Brazil on November 24)
Swift is flying around the world to be at Allegiant Stadium for kickoff on Sunday when Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers
Swift is flying across the world to be at Allegiant Stadium for kickoff on Sunday when Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers.
The couple started dating in September 2023. Their relationship has since significantly increased their NFL viewership.
NFL viewership saw a staggering 53 percent spike among teenage girls, a 24 percent increase among women ages 18 to 24 and a 34 percent increase among women 35 and older.
Swift’s presence has led to an estimated increase of more than 2 million female NFL viewers, NBC reported. Swift has also generated approximately $332 million for the NFL.
The pop star ends the Japanese leg of her Eras Tour in Tokyo on February 10 and faces a frantic rush to return to the US for the competition on February 11.
Kelce was also asked if his famous girlfriend’s presence at his matches puts more pressure on him to perform.
The 34-year-old replied: “You can’t put more pressure than I put on myself. I promise you that. It’s just the heart of a competitor.
“She definitely brought a lot of new faces into the game and it was fun to experience that.
‘She seems to enjoy the games. She is currently part of the Chiefs kingdom and it is nice to see her enjoying the football.”
Travis Kelce (pictured) started publicly dating Taylor Swift in September 2023. The new relationship has led to an estimated increase of more than 2 million female NFL viewers and generated approximately $332 million for the NFL (Image: Travis Kelce speaks to the media at Allegiant Stadium, January 5)
While the Super-Bowl is one of the most popular days to call in sick, another surprising date has surpassed these numbers.
Last year, it was reported that more people called in sick on August 24 than at any other time of the year, including the day after Super Bowl Sunday.
Although the winter months are typically full of illness, data from leave management platform Flamingo Leave Tracker confirms that illness can strike at any time of year.
Stomach bugs were considered the most common reason for sick leave among American workers, accounting for 54 percent of absenteeism.
“When we discovered that the sickest day of the year is actually in August, that was a pretty surprising result,” David Hehenberger, founder of Flamingo Leave Tracker, told shrm in August 2023.
It remains unclear why Americans call August 24 their favorite day to call in sick; there are no major holidays on the calendar for that week.