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Player one has left the office
GTA VI launches Nov. 19. Time-off requests are climbing in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. And half of the gamers taking the day won't book it ahead.
LOADING NOV. 19, 2026...
It might be the most predictable sick day of the year.
On Thursday, Nov. 19, Grand Theft Auto VI finally arrives. It's one of the most anticipated game launches in years, and plenty of the fans lining up for it have jobs. And HR software provider BambooHR says the time-off data is already showing it.
Its platform data covers more than 3.4 million U.S. employees, with comparisons from the U.K. and Canada. In all three countries, the launch date is drawing more time-off requests than a normal November Thursday. Here's how the story plays out, level by level.
LEVEL 1
The launch-day spike
0%
That's the lift in the PTO request rate for Nov. 19 compared with the third Thursday of November in 2024 and 2025.
Requests are up 2% to 4% overall in 2026. The launch date is running well past that.
SOURCE: BAMBOOHR PLATFORM DATA, 3.4M+ U.S. EMPLOYEES, 2024–2026
It doesn't stop at Thursday. Requests also run high for the Friday after launch and through the weekend. With the game's fictional state of Leonida reportedly three times the size of the Red Dead Redemption 2 map, some fans seem to be planning a long weekend of exploring.
November 2026: where the time-off requests pile up
Lift in U.S. PTO request rate vs. the same day in past years
Launch dayElevated requests
SOURCE: BAMBOOHR. FRIDAY “ALMOST 11%”; SATURDAY AND SUNDAY “NEARLY 9%”.
LEVEL 2
Who's logging off
BambooHR also surveyed 1,530 full-time U.S. employees. Nearly one in five (18%) said they plan to take the day off for the launch. The younger the worker, the higher the number.
Plan to take time off for the GTA VI launch
Share of salaried U.S. workers
SOURCE: BAMBOOHR SURVEY, N=1,530 FULL-TIME U.S. EMPLOYEES, OCT. 9–20, 2026
Try it: how many seats could sit empty on your team?
Pick a group and a team size. Each figure is one person.
7 people could be out on launch day
ILLUSTRATION ONLY: APPLIES BAMBOOHR'S U.S. SURVEY SHARES TO A HYPOTHETICAL TEAM.
LEVEL 3
Canada is in the game
For Canadian employers, this isn't someone else's problem. BambooHR's platform data shows a clear jump in Canada too.
0%
Relative lift in Canada's PTO request rate on Nov. 19, the GTA VI launch date.
Launch-day lift in PTO request rate, by country
Nov. 19, 2026 vs. comparable Thursdays in past years
SOURCE: BAMBOOHR PLATFORM DATA
A note on the Canadian numbers: the Canadian figure comes from BambooHR's platform data on PTO requests. The survey findings in this story, including the generational breakdown and the sick-day numbers, are from U.S. workers only.
LEVEL 4
The sick-day glitch
Here's the part the PTO calendar can't show. A lot of fans won't book the day at all. They'll call in that morning.
// GAME PAUSED //
▶CALL IN SICK50%
EVERYONE ELSE50%
Share of gamers taking time off for an upcoming release who plan to call in sick rather than schedule PTO
Why? It's simply easier. And the habit runs well beyond gaming.
0%
of all workers say calling in sick is easier than planning PTO
0%
use sick time for things other than being sick
0%
have worked while sick because time off didn't feel worth it
The contradiction is hard to miss: workers use sick days when they're well, then push through when they're actually unwell.
“When people get to recharge doing what they love, they come back refreshed, and that shows up in their work.”Vanessa BrulotteSenior Employee Relations Partner, BambooHR
LEVEL 5
The boss rush ahead
GTA VI isn't the only big release before year-end. These are the dates to watch for a jump in time-off requests and sick calls.
NOV4
World of Warcraft: ForeverGAME
14%
NOV5
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of TimeGAME
14%
NOV19
Grand Theft Auto VIGAME
18%
DEC18
Dune: Part ThreeFILM
14%
DEC18
Avengers: DoomsdayFILM
18%
SHARE OF SALARIED U.S. WORKERS PLANNING TO TAKE THE DAY OFF. SOURCE: BAMBOOHR SURVEY.
Gen Z vs. Gen X: planning time off for Dune: Part Three
Share of salaried U.S. workers
21%
GEN Z
VS
8%
GEN X
SOURCE: BAMBOOHR SURVEY, N=1,530
0%
of salaried workers often talk pop culture with co-workers. BambooHR says time off rises for all kinds of big cultural moments, from game launches to Taylor Swift album drops. What your people follow is now a workforce-planning question.
“Pay attention to the cultural moments your people care about, plan for them early, and make sure no one feels guilty for using time off they've earned.”Vanessa Brulottewho has already booked Feb. 19, 2027, for the theatrical re-release of the original 1977 Star Wars
STRATEGY GUIDE
How leaders win this one
TIP 01
Read the release calendar
Big launches are announced months ahead. Know which ones your workforce cares about, especially on teams with a lot of younger staff.
TIP 02
Line up coverage early
Plan scheduling for Nov. 19 and the days after now, rather than scrambling when the sick calls come in that morning.
TIP 03
Make booking easier than calling in
If a sick call is simpler than a PTO request, people will choose the sick call. Cut the friction and the guilt around time off.
HR News Canada is an independent source of workplace news for human resources professionals, managers, and business leaders. Published by North Wall Media.
