Last year the day after the Super Bowl costs companies nearly half a billion dollars in productivity. And while employees gear up to root on their favorite team, employers should also be putting practices in place to avoid the inevitable productivity slump during the Super Bowl.
What can be done to address this? James Carroll, VP of Global Sales at TetraVX, offers the following tips to Digital Journal readers to help employers prevent the Super Bowl from sapping their workers’ productivity.
Digital Journal: How disruptive for businesses is the SuperBowl?
James Carroll: Though not a federal holiday, the cultural impact that the SuperBowl has in the United States is vast and wide. Beyond the game itself, the day is filled with Superbowl parties, long waited commercials, halftimes shows, and even crowd crazing coin flip bets. With all the activity this iconic Sunday holds, it’s no wonder that Superbowl Monday has been unofficially coined a ‘day of rest’ and officially coined #SuperbowlMonday.
DJ: Are the effects different for different types of businesses?
Carroll: The effect the Superbowl has on your business varies pending the industry you’re in. For the traditional 9-5 corporate model, we see an influx of ‘sick days’ the Monday following with decreased productivity. For the food & beverage industry, the opposite can be said with spikes in revenues.
DJ: What should managers be communicating to employees about the build-up to the SuperBowl?
Carroll:#SuperbowlMonday doesn’t have to be a day to dread. With the help of collaboration technology that keeps remote workers engaged, employees can have the best of both worlds. As team leaders, it’s important to consider the work life blend that many employees desire and allow team members to both enjoy their Sunday but stay productive from the comfort of their homes on #SuperbowlMonday.
DJ: How about in relation to the Monday after, what messages should managers get out?
Carroll:Managers should lead by example. With tools like presence via your Unified Communications tool, managers can make themselves readily available to remote employees and stay engaged.
DJ: How can managers use the SuperBowl event to engage with employees?
Carroll:Use the Superbowl as a way to build team comradery. Platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack, with persistent chat capabilities, can be a great way to get teams talking about the Big Game beforehand, building a social culture and deeper relationships amongst employees.
DJ: The Monday after the SuperBowl is not a popular workday. Can remote working solutions offer a way forward?
Carroll:Absolutely. The flexibility that working from home provides encourages employees to stay engaged when they would have otherwise played hooky.
