How Flexible PTO Strategies Helped Employers Plan for Beyond Super Bowl Monday and Beyond

Super Bowl Monday is one of the most predictable absentee spikes on the calendar, yet many organizations still treat it like a surprise. Smart HR leaders see it for what it is: a planning signal. When companies design policies around how people actually rest and recharge, they protect operations, ease pressure on teams, and turn a recurring disruption into a straightforward workforce strategy.

That perspective comes from Sondra Ashley-Best, Human Resources Generalist at business consulting firm IMSolutions. She has built HR infrastructure from the ground up and supported thousands of investigations, giving her a practical view of how policy meets workplace realities. “Right now, across industries, the number one thing people want is flexibility,” she says.

• The holiday hustle: Leaders approach predictable events like Super Bowl Monday as planning opportunities, setting clear PTO windows, communicating early, and providing flexible options such as floating holidays or incentives. These steps ensure coverage while signaling that taking time off is expected, not exceptional. “There are a lot of creative options out there if we’re willing to find them,” says Ashley-Best.

• Culture makes time off work: Even generous PTO policies fail without a supportive culture. When employees feel hesitant to use their time off, it creates last-minute crunches and burnout. Regular reminders and leadership encouragement normalize taking time off and boost morale. “It really helps people breathe, they seem a lot happier, and people use their PTO,” says Ashley-Best.

The modern labor market rewards organizations that offer autonomy and adaptability. Beyond perks, flexibility shapes how work happens, influencing productivity, engagement, and retention. Companies that design roles and schedules around real employee needs build a more resilient workforce and improve the ability to attract top talent in a competitive market.

• A suffering standard: Traditional nine-to-five schedules struggle to attract workers, forcing companies to rethink how roles, hours, and expectations are structured. “Companies are having a very hard time finding people who want to work that kind of job,” says Ashley-Best, highlighting a shift in what employees consider acceptable work arrangements.

• Listen and learn: Super Bowl Monday might light up absence charts, but Ashley-Best warns against building policy around a single audience. “Make sure that we’re not limiting what we’re paying attention to to things that appeal to one or two specific demographics,” she says. While football may skew toward certain groups, other events carry equal weight for others. “If there’s a World Cup final, there might be a World Cup flu.” The solution is not to guess which moments matter most, but to create space for choice. “Flexible holidays, flexible work hours, that is what’s most important to a lot of professionals right now.” A structure that allows employees to decide which days count ensures the policy reflects the full workforce, not just the loudest tradition.

Leaders who treat predictable absences as an opportunity rather than a nuisance gain more than just a full office on Monday. They signal that the organization understands how people work and live. Anticipating events from Super Bowl Monday to a World Cup final becomes a test of operational foresight and adaptability. “We can’t be stuck in the past and claiming that we’re planning for the future,” she concludes.