In a refreshing change of pace, Kraft Heinz has decided to skip the expensive Super Bowl advertisement and instead grant its employees a day off. Let’s be honest: after the chaos of Super Bowl Sunday, whether your team emerged victorious or faced defeat, who really wants to drag themselves into work the next day? Mondays are tough enough as it is, and the day after the Super Bowl should definitely be treated like a national holiday.
Let’s face it: the U.S. could use a few more breaks. Our friends across the pond chuckle at our relentless work culture, and while we might not need a full month of vacation, an extra day wouldn’t hurt. Kraft Heinz has embraced this idea wholeheartedly, opting to give their salaried office staff the Monday off instead of splurging about $5 million on a fleeting TV slot during the game. Even if we don’t yet know which teams are battling it out, we can all rally behind the concept of “Smunday.”
The ketchup giant has taken its “Smunday” initiative online, launching a Change.org petition to make this sacred Monday an official holiday. “We can all agree that going to work the Monday after the ‘Big Game’ is brutal,” the company stated. They’re aiming to gather 100,000 signatures to present to Congress. As of Wednesday night, over 27,000 people had already pledged their support for this noble cause.
Considering that more than 16 million Americans take a sick day or simply don’t show up after the Super Bowl, 30,000 signatures feels a bit low. Every workplace I’ve been in has seen at least one person call in sick or mysteriously “forget” to show up that Monday. Some even seem to save a vacation day just for their epic hangovers. Kraft Heinz noted that when folks do call out, productivity drops so significantly that the nation loses an estimated $1 billion. With more awareness, we can only hope that more football fans—and nap enthusiasts—join this quest for a new holiday.
While critics have labeled the petition a mere marketing ploy for Kraft Heinz, their commitment to this day off appears genuine. “We hope other brands and companies will join us in supporting this effort. … We genuinely want to make this a reality,” said Laura Mason, a spokesperson for Heinz, in an interview. “We’ve been discussing this for years and decided it was finally time to take a stand for the American workforce.”
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In summary, Kraft Heinz is making headlines not just for their condiments but for their commitment to employee well-being by advocating for a day off after the Super Bowl instead of spending millions on an ad. As they work toward making “Smunday” a reality, we can only hope more businesses will follow suit, allowing us to enjoy our nacho-fueled celebrations without the Monday blues.