Millions of Americans Call in Sick on Super Bowl Monday

Millions of Americans Call in Sick on Super Bowl Monday Expect your office to be a bit emptier come 9 a.m. Monday. According to a 2008 report, over 1.5 million workers will call in sick the day after the Super Bowl, and millions more will be late. Maybe it’s the reported 325 million gallons of beer Americans will consume â€" or the 1.3 billion chicken wings. Whatever the case, that’s a lot of lost productivity. So what can employers do to ensure the day isn’t a wash? One expert says you could punish those who had a bit too much fun Sunday nightâ€"or throw a party instead. Tim Eisenhauer, the president of Axero Solutions and a workplace collaboration expert, says it could benefit employers to embrace the sluggishness and “nurse the hangovers.” “Provide breakfast and turn the morning or even the entire day into a morale building-slash-employee-engagement-slash-get-together-slash-get-to-know-each-other-at-work day,” Eisenhauer suggests. “You could make it a day of fun and play, and bring in a comedian, a funny speaker, a musician, (or) a spread of food.” Too often, Eisenhauer says, an employer’s assumptions about what will make them successful are overly strict. Hard work is well and good, but incorporating a bit of fun can also be beneficial to your bottom line. Plus, providing a breakfast or some other type of socializing event is a great way for your workers to get to know each other, particularly at a large organization. And that could lead to even greater productivity down the line. “Make it a point that your people walk out of every corporate event knowing more coworkers than they did when they walked in,” he says. “Well-networked employees are happy employees.” Naturally these suggestions depend on your company culture, but if you’re looking for a way to boost morale, free bagels and coffee never hurts.