Millions of Americans are expected to call in sick on Monday after the Super Bowl, as a record number of viewers are expected to watch the ‘Taylor Bowl.’
After Super Bowl LVIII, a staggering 16.1 million employees are expected to succumb to the famous ‘Super Bowl flu’, as predicted by the UKG Workforce Institute.
The phenomenon called ‘Super Sick Monday’ is so common that it has generated petitions and legislative efforts to designate it as an official holiday.
Demand for time off has already increased this year: around 10 million employees have already pre-emptively requested the 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 suggests that Taylor Swift’s presence influences 21 percent of viewers.
Millions of Americans are expected to call in sick on Monday after the Super Bowl, while record numbers are expected to watch the ‘Taylor Bowl’ (pictured: Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift kiss on January 28).
The phenomenon dubbed ‘Super Sick Monday’ is so common that it has sparked petitions and legislative efforts to designate it as an official holiday (Pictured: Fans react while watching the San Francisco 49ers play the Kansas City Chiefs during a Super Bowl LIV in 2020)
Swift faces a huge rush to get from Tokyo in Japan to Las Vegas to watch her boyfriend play.
According to UKG, approximately 6.4 million employees also plan to be late for work.
Another 11.2 million employees have said they are “unsure” whether they will end up taking the day off, and 6.4 million say they will decide at the last minute.
Nearly 15 million adults have admitted to lying about being sick the day after the Super Bowl, and a whopping 11 percent hold managerial positions, according to the survey.
The survey alarmingly shows that 6 million of these people in the past risked being disciplined in their workplaces due to their absence without notice.
Chris Todd, CEO of UKG, emphasized the importance of recognizing major cultural events as opportunities to foster unity and recognize the existence of life beyond the boundaries of the workplace.
Speaking to Axios, Todd said: “Any major cultural event is an opportunity to bring people together and, for leaders, an opportunity to recognize that we have lives outside of work.”
This year, more people will tune in to Taylor Swift’s appearance at the Super Bowl, influencing 21 percent to watch (pictured: Taylor Swift performing on stage in Brazil on Nov. 24).
Swift will travel across the globe to be at Allegiant Stadium for Sunday’s kickoff when Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers.
Swift is traveling across the world to be at Allegiant Stadium for Sunday’s kickoff when Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers.
The couple began dating in September 2023. Since then, their relationship has significantly increased NFL viewership.
NFL viewership saw a staggering 53 percent increase among teen girls, a 24 percent increase among women ages 18 to 24, and a 34 percent increase among women ages 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 finishes the Japanese leg of her Eras Tour in Tokyo on February 10 and faces a frantic race to return to the United States for the February 11 match.
Kelce was also asked if having his famous girlfriend present at his games puts more pressure on him to deliver.
The 34-year-old responded: “You can’t put more pressure on me than I put on myself.” I promise you. It’s just the heart of a competitor.
“It’s definitely brought a lot of new faces to the game and it’s been fun to experience that.”
“She seems to be enjoying the games. She’s part of the Chiefs kingdom right now and it’s fun to see her enjoying the football.”
Travis Kelce (pictured) began 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 (in the photo: Travis Kelce speaking to the media at Allegiant Stadium, January 5)
While the Super Bowl is one of the most popular days to call out sick, another surprising date has surpassed those 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.
While the winter months are often plagued by illness, data from leave management platform Flamingo Leave Tracker confirmed that illness can occur in all seasons.
Stomach viruses were considered the most common reason for sick leave among American workers, accounting for 54 percent of sick leaves.
“When we found out that the sickest day of the year is, in fact, August, it was a pretty surprising result,” David Hehenberger, founder of Flamingo Leave Tracker, told shrm in August 2023.
It’s still unclear why Americans have made Aug. 24 their favorite day to call in sick: There are no major holidays marked on the calendar for that week.