Good food and good football—all the fixings for one of our country’s favorite holidays. We’re not talking about Thanksgiving or Christmas; we’re talking about Super Bowl Sunday—the most official “unofficial” holiday of the year. But it’s all fun and games until Monday morning comes around and it’s back to work.

The day after the big game has long been a point of contention for employers. A survey from The Workforce Institute estimates that 16.1 million employed U.S. adults may miss work the day after Super Bowl because of the so-called Super Bowl Flu. And of course, absent, late, and distracted employees cost employers money.

Gameday is just around the corner. Here’s some tips to keep making forward progress.

Game Plan

No matter how obvious, it never hurts to communicate your company policies. Encourage employees to talk with their supervisors about requesting or taking time off before the big game so you can adjust your staffing and plan to have coverage. If employees are scheduled to work, provide a gentle reminder that outside of a real emergency or sickness, the Monday after the Super Bowl is a required workday and coming in late is unacceptable, as always.

Know when to punt

Mondays are hard in a good week, but they’re even harder the day after a major holiday. While the Super Bowl isn’t an official holiday, all the gathering and indulging can make it hard for people to get into the right mindset for a productive week. Have realistic expectations and set your team up for success by pushing critical deadlines and meetings to another day in the week.

Huddle up

According to the Work Force Institute, nearly a third of employed Americans (32%) say they will talk about the Super Bowl with coworkers during work hours. Rehashing the big plays of the game, talking about the commercials and halftime, and everything in between can take up critical work time. Take advantage of this opportunity to encourage positive employee engagement and incentivize employees to arrive on time by hosting a company sponsored breakfast with coffee and pastries. This gives employees the chance to connect with one another for a set amount of time at the beginning of the day and generate positive energy to kick-off the week on the right foot.

Block off Monday

For some businesses it may be necessary to consider making the Monday after the Super Bowl a blackout workday—meaning employees can’t schedule vacation during this time. Much like how retail workers often can’t take vacation during the busy holiday season, this will ensure your workforce is fully staffed. In this instance, be sure to communicate clearly with your employees in advance.

Build a defensive lineup

Even if you stress the importance of showing up on-time Monday morning, chances are you’ll have a few employees who come in late or call in sick. Plan for this scenario by making sure you have additional workers that you can bring in last minute, either through a staffing company (like ALTRES Staffing) or an on-call group.

Sport-related distractions in the workplace are common (for instance Fantasy Football and March Madness) but are great opportunities to communicate company policies and engage employees. In the end, how you choose to handle these distractions and keep your company productive will determine whether your company comes out on top.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Readers should first consult their attorney, accountant or adviser before acting upon any information in this article.

Sign up for our newsletter

Sign up for our monthly HIVE newsletter and get tips for finding a job, managing a business and advancing your career right in your inbox.

* indicates required

Good food and good football—all the fixings for one of our country’s favorite holidays. We’re not talking about Thanksgiving or Christmas; we’re talking about Super Bowl Sunday—the most official “unofficial” holiday of the year. But it’s all fun and games until Monday morning comes around and it’s back to work.

The day after the big game has long been a point of contention for employers. A survey from The Workforce Institute estimates that 16.1 million employed U.S. adults may miss work the day after Super Bowl because of the so-called Super Bowl Flu. And of course, absent, late, and distracted employees cost employers money.

Gameday is just around the corner. Here’s some tips to keep making forward progress.

Game Plan

No matter how obvious, it never hurts to communicate your company policies. Encourage employees to talk with their supervisors about requesting or taking time off before the big game so you can adjust your staffing and plan to have coverage. If employees are scheduled to work, provide a gentle reminder that outside of a real emergency or sickness, the Monday after the Super Bowl is a required workday and coming in late is unacceptable, as always.

Know when to punt

Mondays are hard in a good week, but they’re even harder the day after a major holiday. While the Super Bowl isn’t an official holiday, all the gathering and indulging can make it hard for people to get into the right mindset for a productive week. Have realistic expectations and set your team up for success by pushing critical deadlines and meetings to another day in the week.

Huddle up

According to the Work Force Institute, nearly a third of employed Americans (32%) say they will talk about the Super Bowl with coworkers during work hours. Rehashing the big plays of the game, talking about the commercials and halftime, and everything in between can take up critical work time. Take advantage of this opportunity to encourage positive employee engagement and incentivize employees to arrive on time by hosting a company sponsored breakfast with coffee and pastries. This gives employees the chance to connect with one another for a set amount of time at the beginning of the day and generate positive energy to kick-off the week on the right foot.

Block off Monday

For some businesses it may be necessary to consider making the Monday after the Super Bowl a blackout workday—meaning employees can’t schedule vacation during this time. Much like how retail workers often can’t take vacation during the busy holiday season, this will ensure your workforce is fully staffed. In this instance, be sure to communicate clearly with your employees in advance.

Build a defensive lineup

Even if you stress the importance of showing up on-time Monday morning, chances are you’ll have a few employees who come in late or call in sick. Plan for this scenario by making sure you have additional workers that you can bring in last minute, either through a staffing company (like ALTRES Staffing) or an on-call group.

Sport-related distractions in the workplace are common (for instance Fantasy Football and March Madness) but are great opportunities to communicate company policies and engage employees. In the end, how you choose to handle these distractions and keep your company productive will determine whether your company comes out on top.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Readers should first consult their attorney, accountant or adviser before acting upon any information in this article.

Sign up for our newsletter

Sign up for our monthly HIVE newsletter and get tips for finding a job, managing a business and advancing your career right in your inbox.

* indicates required