An unprecedented number of workers will be OOO on Monday. But more people are swapping shifts and planning ahead, and less employees are expected to“host their job compared to last year.
Feb. 5, 2026 - HR Dive
Caroline Colvin, Reporter
Whether it’s the New England Patriots or the Seattle Seahawks securing rings on Sunday, there’s a 100% possibility that headcount will be slim on Monday morning.
Job attendance on Super Bowl Monday is always shaky, but this year may be record-breaking. UKG, a firm that has commissioned research on post-Super Bowl work attendance since 2005, projects that 26.2 million workers will miss work on Monday.
Looking back at last year’s game: Post-Super Bowl sick-day requests were up 45% that next Monday compared to the average workday, according to a Paycom report released this week. Paycom noted in its statement that last-minute PTO requests, “reactive approvals” and decision fatigue can lead to understaffing, recommending that HR try to be as proactive as possible.
The silver lining for this year’s bout of Super Bowl flu? Workers are planning ahead for post-Bad Bunny euphoria and post-fourth quarter revelry.
The game day stats, according to UKG:
Noting this projected shift in approach to Monday’s inevitable hangover, Julie Develin, senior partner of HCM advisory at UKG, said in a statement that it’s “a net positive because unplanned absences can quickly add up ・potentially costing businesses more than $5 billion in lost productivity.”
Bad Bunny said we should take more photos ・and with more people being honest about their Super Bowl Monday needs, workers who are OOO that morning can post their Sunday night snaps in peace.