An Olympic-Sized Event Could Emerge Across America This Summer: Missing Work to Watch the Games

The iconic torch. The spirited competition. The empty workplace? 
 
As “Olympic fever” builds for the summer games, millions of U.S. workers plan to “call in sick” to cheer on their favorite athletes. According to our latest survey conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of the UKG Workforce Institute, more than 7.6 million¹ employed Americans plan to play hooky (i.e., call in sick, even though they’re not sick) so they can watch the 2024 Summer Olympics. 
 
Just like how we track employee absenteeism and workplace productivity surrounding the Super Bowl each year, the UKG Workforce Institute sought to measure the possible work impacts of the 2024 Summer Olympics—which take place this year in Paris, up to 12 hours ahead of U.S. time zones. 
 
In all, our survey found that more than 27.5 million² employed Americans plan to miss at least some work to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics, airing July 26 to August 11—from 12% who plan to take pre-approved time off to 5% who plan to skip work without notice (i.e., ghost their employer). 
 
With about a month to go before the Opening Ceremony, now is the time for organizations to take the proper steps—from staffing arrangements to open conversations—to help minimize business disruptions and avoid any hurdles in workplace productivity. 

When Employees Will Be Watching the Olympics  
 

According to our survey, 59% of employed Americans plan to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics, with more than a third (39%) planning to tune in live and 31% planning to catch the competition on demand or on delay. 
 
Despite 62% of employed Americans who plan to watch the Summer Olympics saying they will do so outside of their working hours, millions more say they plan to watch the games while they’re on the clock. That means even fully staffed organizations could encounter occasional lulls in employee productivity. As our survey uncovered: 

• More than 12.3 million³ employed Americans who plan to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics will do so while working (i.e., during work hours) without their boss’ permission. 

• Nearly two-thirds of employees who plan to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics while working (65%) will watch for more than an hour while they’re supposed to be working—with 7% of employees and 5% of managers saying they plan to watch for six or more hours while on the clock.  

• Over a quarter of employees who plan to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics (27%) say they’ll be less productive at work because they’ll be watching during work hours—including more than 1 in 3 managers (35%). 

• About one-third of employees who plan to watch the games (30%) think they’ll be less productive at work because they stayed up late/woke up early to watch. 

The UKG Workforce Institute wanted to learn which Olympic sports draw such devoted fans that they’re willing to miss work to watch or watch while working in order to watch specific events live. According to our survey, men’s basketball topped the list for 61% of employed Americans who plan to watch while working, followed by men’s soccer at 44%. Three women’s events rounded out the top five most popular, including gymnastics (39%), basketball (35%), and beach volleyball (34%). 
 

When Work Feels Like an Olympic Event 

Whether at work, at home, or somewhere in between, if you’re watching the 2024 Summer Olympics and start to feel like your job resembles the games, you’re not alone. 
 
In our survey, we asked employees to compare their current working situation to a popular Olympic sport, from the fan-favorite gymnastics to the emerging event of breakdancing. The results? 

• More than a quarter of employed Americans (26%) would compare their job to gymnastics: I try to stay balanced. If I take a leap (e.g., a calculated risk), I always do my best to stick the landing and my coaches spot me (e.g., my boss has my back). 

• Just over one in five employed Americans (21%) liken work to synchronized swimming: I work with a great team, and we succeed as a unified group. 

• About one in five employed Americans (19%) say work is like track and field: With grit and a growth mindset, I can overcome any hurdle. 

• One in 10 employed Americans (10%) say work resembles boxing: I feel like I’m always one mistake away from being knocked out (i.e., fired). 

• Rounding out the group, 7% of employed Americans think work feels like the new Olympic sport of breakdancing: I have so much fun at my job, I sometimes even dance in the workplace. 

 
All dancing aside, if work resembles an Olympic event, then it’s fair to measure its weight in medals. To wit, we asked employees to award proverbial gold, silver, and bronze medals—for being amazing, very good, or needing work, respectively—to various people, programs, and practices in their workplace. 
 
Among employees who have a manager, only 40% would award them a gold medal, 35% would give silver, and 14% say their manager deserves bronze. When evaluating trust and transparency at their organization, 34% of employed Americans say their company gets gold, 29% say silver, and 16% go with bronze. And for workplace flexibility (e.g., ability to change schedule, change hours, swap shifts), 36% of employed Americans would award their organization a gold medal, 28% silver, and 15% bronze. 

Given these results, maybe it’s not-too shocking to learn that 57% of employed Americans with a manager say they don’t feel comfortable asking their manager for time off to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics—including a slight majority of managers (58%) themselves!

Furthermore, only about 1 in 5 employed Americans who plan to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics (19%) say they have talked with their manager about taking time off to watch the games, and their manager supports them taking time off to watch—while 12% say their manager told them they can’t take time off to watch.

Hard-working employees deserve time off, and they shouldn’t be afraid to ask their managers for it. If organizations hope to reduce the number of people playing hooky or ghosting work to enjoy cultural events like the Summer Olympics, having more open and honest conversations at work is the first step—and it’ll go miles in helping to build trust, the foundation for building a great place to work. Managers: to help melt the ice, schedule weekly 1:1 with your direct reports, so check-ins become more routine and comfortable for both people—you can even use the UKG Workforce Institute’s 1:1 guide for managers, as well as our 1:1 guide for employees, for tips on starting the conversation.

When Going for Gold Inspires Greatness

It takes years of dedicated training, focus, and perseverance to become an Olympian. These elite athletes inspire immense pride and garner enormous support from cheering fans around the globe, as they represent their countries in a celebrated quest for greatness.

When organizations commit to providing the best employee experience possible—an experience that’s built on trust, open communication, and care for all people—they can inspire greatness in the workplace. Employees will rally with pride around a great workplace. They’ll support one another and their customers in extraordinary ways, they’ll work hard and cheer for the company’s success, and they’ll applaud and celebrate its achievements.

Fostering a great place to work is a goal worth pursuing. It might take years of grit to earn the proverbial gold medal, but it’s well worth all the time, energy, and effort involved. And it’s definitely an achievement worth celebrating. 
 
 
Survey Methodology: This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of UKG from June 11 to June 13, 2024, among 1,122 adults ages 18 and older, among whom 657 plan to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.6 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected]. 
 
Footnote 1: Calculation based on a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2024 report that estimates there are 161,083,000 employed adults in the United States: 161,083,000 x 59% who plan to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics x 8% of who plan to call in sick, even though they’re not sick (i.e., play hooky), so they can watch the 2024 Summer Olympics = 7,603,118. 
 
Footnote 2: Calculation based on a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2024 report that estimates there are 161,083,000 employed adults in the United States: 161,083,000 x 59% who plan to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics x 29% who plan to miss at least some work to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics = 27,561,301. This includes people who plan to take a pre-approved vacation or personal day; who plan to come into work late/leave work early; who plan to call in sick, even though they’re not sick; and who plan to skip work without notice. 
 
Footnote 3: Calculation based on a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2024 report that estimates there are 161,083,000 employed adults in the United States: 161,083,000 x 59% who plan to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics x 13% who plan to watch the 2024 Summer Olympics while working (i.e., during working hours) without their boss’ permission = 12,355,066.