It's no secret that the day after Super Bowl Sunday is often referred to as "Super Sick Monday." That's because many employees are no-shows at work. So don't expect full offices on Feb. 9, the Monday after the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots meet in Super Bowl LX this Sunday.
New research by HR and automated payroll technology company Paycom Software reveals just how prevalent the Monday trend is.
Sick day requests increased 45% nationwide in 2025 on the Monday after Super Bowl LIX compared to the average workday. What's more, time-off requests were up 12% for that Monday, underscoring that some employees aren't just calling in unexpectedly; many are strategically planning their time off in advance, adding further complexity to employers' staffing efforts.
Paycom's research is based on sick day and time-off requests made in 2025 by more than seven million full- and part-time employees across the company's U.S.-based clients.
Unexpected staffing shortages can lead to lost revenue, inability to meet customer demands, strained resources, decreased productivity, and more, according to Paycom officials — who cite proactivity as the key to mitigating the impact of understaffing. This can include using advanced HR technology that leverages automated decision logic to maintain coverage standards and minimize manual intervention.
"In today's fast-paced work environment, a surge of last-minute time-off requests and reactive approvals from overwhelmed managers with decision fatigue can lead to accidental understaffing," said Jason Bodin, executive vice president of marketing and communications at Paycom.
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