Results Come from Lowell-based UKG’s annual Super Bowl Absenteeism Survey
UKG’s annual Super Bowl Absenteeism Survey estimates 26.21 million employed Americans will miss work the day after the Super Bowl, which would represent a second straight record and an increase from 2025’s record-setting 22.6 million employees. The Lowell-based company also said the projected absenteeism could “potentially cost upwards of $5.2 billion in lost work and productivity.”
UKG has commissioned The Harris Poll to conduct Super Bowl-related absenteeism research since 2005, describing the effort as a way to provide organizations with workforce insights needed to plan labor around major events that can impact staffing and productivity.
How employees say they plan to miss work
Here’s how the survey broke down how some of the 26.2 million employed Americans who may miss work plan to do so:
- 13.1 million plan to take a pre-approved day off, compared to 12.9 million in 2025 and 10 million in 2024.
- 6.5 million plan to swap shifts with a co-worker, compared to 4.8 million in 2025.
- 3.3 million intend to call out sick despite not being ill, similar to 3.2 million in 2025.
- 1.6 million plan to “ghost” work without notifying their employer, compared to 3.2 million in 2025.
It doesn’t end there, though. UKG said a further 4.9 million workers simply plan to go into work late without letting their manager know in advance.
“Last year’s record-breaking prediction preceded Super Bowl LIX being the most-watched program in the history of broadcast television — and data shows employees are not only planning ahead for it, but also hoping for an assist from their employer,” said Julie Develin, Senior Partner, HCM Advisory at UKG. “This year it appears that fewer employees plan to ghost work and others are proactively swapping shifts. That kind of workforce understanding and insights is a net positive because unplanned absences can quickly add up — potentially costing businesses more than $5 billion in lost productivity.”
What employees say could reduce last-minute call-outs
Further findings suggest, however, that with earlier workforce planning, the number of those ‘playing hooky” could be reduced. For example,
- 56% of employees say if managers started coverage planning weeks before the Super Bowl, it would reduce last-minute call-outs at their workplace, while
- 54% say clear, early communication from their manager about Super Bowl coverage would make them less likely to call out or skip their shift.
“Organizations and Leaders are Building Game-winning Playbooks for Super Bowl Absence,” UKG said, adding that over two-thirds of employees (67%) agree their manager does a good job recognizing how pop culture events, holidays, and other external factors can affect work.
On the management side, UKG said nearly two-thirds of managers (63%) plan to ask employees directly about their Super Bowl time-off plans, compared to 56% in 2025.
With that said, approximately 8.2 million employees will make a last-minute decision about what to do on Monday.
“That’s a lot of people waiting on the sidelines over their plans for Super Bowl Monday. There’s still time to drive active conversations with employees to ensure the business is covered,” Develin said.
Holiday debate and staffing realities for frontline-heavy organizations
The survey also noted that 48% of employees (up from 43% in 2025) agree Super Bowl Monday should be a national holiday, adding that “they’ll get to test next year when Super Bowl LXI falls on Valentine’s Day and over Presidents’ Day weekend,” which UKG said “may actually pose more labor planning challenges.”
Develin tied the issue to frontline staffing pressures: “More than 80% of the workforce are in frontline roles where working holidays and weekends is the norm. Whether the Super Bowl is played on a holiday weekend or not, frontline-heavy organizations will need to employ creative staffing techniques,” she said. “Shift swaps are a practical reality for frontline teams — trading working Thanksgiving for Christmas, weekends for weekdays — yet other UKG research shows half (50%) of employees say it’s difficult to change shifts at the last minute.”
UKG also reported several game-day and incentive-related findings:
- 6.6 million employees are swapping shifts Sunday with another co-worker who wants to watch the game.
- 18 million plan to work their Sunday night shift but watch at least some of the game.
- 60% of employees said they would volunteer to work during the Super Bowl if their organization offered premium pay or another incentive for working that shift.
Beyond the Super Bowl: “must-watch” events that could affect attendance
In addition to Super Bowl LX, 2026 kicks off a year filled with events that employees cited as potentially impacting work attendance in the first half of 2026: These include:
- Feb. 6–22, Winter Olympics: 26.2 million (16%)
- March 17–April 6, NCAA Men’s March Madness Tournament: 18 million (11%)
- June 11–July 19, FIFA World Cup: 36 million (22%)
- Taylor Swift–Travis Kelce Wedding: 13 million (8%)
“The Super Bowl still holds the trophy for what could be the largest single day of potential work-related absence, yet these multi-week, must-watch moments can be even trickier to plan labor,” Develin said. “Organizations should set reminders several weeks ahead to start staffing conversations early. That kind of long-term workforce planning helps ensure work is covered and prevents last-minute staffing gaps.”
Survey methodology (as stated)
UKG said The Harris Poll conducted the survey online in the United States from Jan. 15–20, 2026, among 1,288 adults ages 18 and older. UKG said sampling precision is measured using a Bayesian credible interval, and that “the sample data is accurate to within +/-3.4 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.”
