Manage lost productivity, absenteeism during Super Bowl and Olympics

1. Turn unplanned absences into planned ones

In addition to employees calling in sick after a late night cheering on the Seattle Seahawks or Denver Broncos, an estimated 4.4 million employees arrive late to work the Monday after the Super Bowl, finds Kronos. However, managers who know ahead of time that employees will sleep in can curb productivity losses. Kronos found a 19% loss in productivity for unplanned absence as opposed to 13% for planned absence.

How can we make more of those unplanned absences planned? Employers can create policies and a company culture that will encourage and support employees for requesting time off beforehand, which gives the managers the ability to plan for that absence ahead of time and mitigate some of that productivity loss, explains Joyce Maroney, director of the Workforce Institute at Kronos.

2. Offering flexibility

Organizations with a high number of Gen X and Gen Y employees are typically short staffed the Monday after the big game. So companies, especially those with younger employees, should offer flexible work hours when it's feasible.

Being an employer of choice often comes down to not necessarily the employer that pays the most, but the employer that gives employees autonomy, treats employees like human beings who have lives outside the office and is willing to make accommodations in the form of paid time off, flexible work hours, and work from home where thats supportable, says Maroney.

3. Look for patterns

By analyzing absenteeism data, employers can find and offset patterns where workers typically call in sick. For example, they can market flu benefits to convince employees to get flu shots before suffering from widespread absences.

Around the world, Chinese workers are most likely (58%) to call in sick so they can stay home and watch or attend a sporting event, while in France only 1% said they were likely to do so.

4. Get in on the fun

Which sports were most likely to cause employees to miss work? In Australia, France, Mexico, and the U.K., soccer took the top spot. In the U.S., it was football. Employers can positively channel excitement by having their on-site cafeteria serve game-day food like subs or wings. Or they can tap into the excitement of the event by hosting employee appreciation days throughout the year. Sports provide a connection for colleagues to discuss the game, let off steam and get together in a friendly way.

5. Plan accordingly

Maroney suggests that managers dont plan to kick off any big, bold initiatives for Monday morning after the Super Bowl. Instead, managers should proactively bring up the possibility of absences the week before and ask that anyone planning a late night let them know now whether theyll be coming in later or not at all on Monday.