One third of corrections officers assigned to work on Super Bowl Sunday called in sick

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Super Bowl made Patriots fans sick. But it also seems to have affected many of Hawaii's correctional officers.

The state Department of Public Safety released the numbers Wednesday detailing how many corrections officers called in sick, coincidentally, on the day of the big game.

And surprisingly, the number of employees who called out was lower than years past.

DPS reports, of 733 officers statewide assigned to work that day, 213 called in sick. That equates to about 34 percent of staff out for the day.

In 2017, that number was 260 of 733 out sick for the day. In 2016: 230.

"Everyone always asks how we are working towards the use of less leave on major holidays and event weekends," DPS Spokesperson Toni Schwartz said. "All state employees are entitled to use earned leave. Curbing excessive leave use is a constant battle for all state agencies."

DPS says staffing was adequate and no visitations were canceled.

"Wardens have made it a priority over the years to think outside the box when it comes to staffing. They ask employees for a verbal commitment that they will be at work," Schwartz added.