How Super Bowls impact the workplace
February 1, 2018 10:10 PM
How Super Bowl LII impacts the workplace
The big event is Sunday night, but research shows that the Super Bowl can have an impact on productivity before and after the game. According to data from Captivate Office Pulse, 77% of working professionals plan to watch this year’s Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. Here’s how the game may affect your workplace.
Holiday policies
Captivate’s study found that only 29% of business professionals feel that the Monday after the Super Bowl should be declared a national holiday. However, research staffing company OfficeTeam says 72% of HR managers do believe the day after should be considered a holiday.
PTO abuse
In OfficeTeam’s findings, 40% of employees ages 18 to 34 and males (36%) have most frequently called in sick or made an excuse for skipping work after a major sporting event. Additionally, workers ages 18 to 34 (44%) and men (42%) were also most commonly late to the office the day following a big game. That compares to 20% of females.
Productivity
In additional research from staffing company OfficeTeam, workers claim they spend only 27 minutes each workday on sports-related activities, such as talking to colleagues and participating in informal competitions, before a popular event. Of all respondent groups, male employees and those ages 18 to 34 are most preoccupied by sports at the office (37 minutes and 35 minutes per day, respectively). Women average 15 minutes a day.
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Money lost
Last year, consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas estimated employers losing more than $290 million in lost wages for every 10 minutes of the workday spent by employees discussing the game, watching highlights, or setting up their Super Bowl pools.
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Employee engagement
“There’s understandably a lot of excitement both in and out of the office surrounding major sporting events,” says Brandi Britton, a district president for OfficeTeam. “It’s not always practical for organizations to give employees the day off after a big game, but allowing a little leeway in the morning could help. Companies can also organize activities beforehand to capitalize on the enthusiasm and build camaraderie.”
