Why are so many people not at work today? Have you noticed? As many as 14 million* employed Americans have called in sick today, according to a survey by the cold medicine Mucinex and The Workforce Institution at Kronos, Inc. The reason has nothing to do with colds or coughs. It’s about today being the Monday after the Super Bowl.
What percentage of employees have missed work on the Monday after the Super Bowl?
19% | Survey respondents who say they have previously missed work on the Monday after the Super Bowl
25% | Employees who believe Monday after the Super Bowl should be considered a national holiday
60% | Percentage of sick-day takers who decide to call in sick after the game has started or the following day.
Parents are more likely to call in sick
21% | Sick-day-takers who have children under the age of 18
5% | Sick-day-takers of who have not children
Most used symptom employees give for calling in sick on Super Bowl Monday
When asked about the most common sickness they have used or heard someone else use when calling in to say they were sick (when not actually sick), employed Americans gave these top excuses:
26% | Fever
14% | Sore throat
12% | Headache
*The survey used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) that says there were 154 million employed Americans in December 2017. Of these, 75% (115.5 million) plan to watch the game. Of these, 12% (13.9 million) say they are likely to call in sick.
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