GTA 6 launch day set to spark sickie disaster as hundreds of thousands of Brits plan to skip work

Millions of workers are expected to skive of for the GTA 6 launch, sparking a $1bn productivity crisis as bosses brace for a massive ‘GTA flu’ outbreak

Millions of British workers are preparing to pull a sickie as the most anticipated video game in history threatens to spark a major productivity crisis. Gamers are plotting a digital escape to Vice City when Grand Theft Auto 6 drops next month.

The launch is set to cause massive workplace carnage, with 2.1 million UK employees and 1.5 million US workers expected to book the day off. The sudden global drain of staff could trim US national output by two per cent in a single day, costing the American economy a staggering $1billion (£748million) in lost productivity.

And British offices are braced for equal chaos, as research by CharlieHR reveals a further 1.2 million UK workers plan to take multiple days of annual leave. An estimated 1.8m UK employees also expect to change or swap shifts, with 2.4m hoping to alter their working hours to squeeze in game time.

Bosses are being warned to prepare for impact, as roughly 4.5m Brit staff say they would be likely to call in sick if managers turn down their holiday requests.

An estimated 6m cheeky employees admit they will even skive and play during normal working hours if they are working from home on launch day. CharlieHR CEO Ben Gateley warned managers to tackle the issue before staff pull a fast one.

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.”

GTA developer Rockstar Games and its publisher parent company Take-Two Interactive aren’t hiding from 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 plotting 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.

It wouldn’t be the first time a franchise release 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 will be laughing all the way to the bank. Take-Two Interactive expects more than $1billion worth of cash flow this financial year, largely driven by the release.