Millions of British workers are preparing to pull a sickie when Grand Theft Auto 6 launches next month, threatening a major productivity crisis. Research indicates that 2.1 million UK employees and 1.5 million US workers are expected to book the day off, potentially trimming US national output by two per cent in a single day and costing the American economy $1 billion (£748 million) in lost productivity.
Workplace Chaos Expected
British offices are bracing for similar disruption. Research by CharlieHR reveals that a further 1.2 million UK workers plan to take multiple days of annual leave. An estimated 1.8 million UK employees also expect to change or swap shifts, with 2.4 million hoping to alter their working hours to accommodate game time.
Bosses are being warned to prepare for impact, as roughly 4.5 million British staff say they would be likely to call in sick if managers turn down their holiday requests. An estimated 6 million employees admit they will skive and play during normal working hours if they are working from home on launch day.
Employer Guidance
CharlieHR CEO Ben Gateley warned managers to address the issue before staff take advantage. He said: "GTA VI is a funny example of something HR teams don't necessarily see coming. But it highlights a very real issue: people's lives don't stop at the office door."
"When a major cultural event lands, employees will want to make space for it, whether that's taking annual leave, changing their hours or working remotely. The employers who handle these moments well are the ones with clear policies, good visibility of who's off and enough flexibility to keep the business running."
Industry Anticipation
GTA developer Rockstar Games and its publisher parent company Take-Two Interactive are acknowledging the inevitable. CEO Strauss Zelnick recently told a Las Vegas conference: "I think a lot of people will be calling in sick on November 19."
While many employees will suddenly come down with "GTA flu," others have been planning for months. According to the Wall Street Journal, some workers have actively banked paid time off for launch day, while other companies built the date directly into their end-of-year compensation packages.
This is not the first time a franchise release has triggered office chaos. When GTA V launched in 2013, an IGN survey of 11,000 readers found 46 per cent took the day off proactively, while nearly 20 per cent planned to call in sick. In major hubs like New York and Los Angeles, Cadena SER reported that six per cent of the 18-to-35 demographic missed work on release weekend.
While line managers face staffing nightmares, Rockstar Games stands to benefit significantly. Take-Two Interactive expects more than $1 billion worth of cash flow this financial year, largely driven by the release.
