Super Bowl hangovers and absences could cost the economy more than $5 billion
Almost one-third of NFL fans say they have or will call in sick the day after the game, according to one
Ekaterina Vasileva-Bagler
Whether you're a Patriots fan, a Seahawks fan, or are just in it for the commercials, there's a decent chance you'll enjoy an adult beverage or two during the Super Bowl. And a fair number of fans could take Monday off to recover from the festivities.
A new study from sports betting news and analysis site Action Network finds that absenteeism and slowed productivity due to hangovers could cost the economy $1.96 billion on Monday. That figure could be even higher if it's a nail biter of a game that runs late or into overtime.
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Nearly one in five fans surveyed said they expected they would have five or more drinks during the Super Bowl, and one-third said they have or will call in sick on Super Bowl Monday.
The survey talked with 3,000 NFL fans. Taking the results from that focus group and applying them to the larger number of people who watch the game — an estimated 43% of the country's adults — the survey estimates that 7.63 million will take Monday off. And another 4.92 million will show up but fall short of their usual productivity levels.
Mississippi is the state likely to see the most people calling in sick on Super Bowl Monday, the study found. (We're gonna throw a flag on that, since New England and Seattle fans have a lot more invested in this game.)
Action Network isn't the only company to look into Super Bowl Monday absences. Human resources tech firm UKG predicts 13.1 million people will take the day off, an increase over last year's 12.9 million. And another 6.5 million employees plan to swap shifts with a coworker, up significantly from 4.8 million last year. Meanwhile, nearly 4.9 million workers plan to show up late without notifying their manager
That will result in more than $5.2 billion in lost work and productivity, UKG says.
"The takeaway for leaders is clear: pop culture doesn’t pause for work, and it doesn’t happen just once a year," the company writes. "For frontline-heavy organizations especially, attendance pressure will continue to rise anytime major moments capture employees’ attention."