H&R Block, a major Kansas City-based tax company, granted thousands of its employees the afternoon off to celebrate the engagement of Taylor Swift, a singer-songwriter, and Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce, who plays football for the Kansas City Chiefs.  

The company's playful internal announcement referenced the viral excitement surrounding the couple, with Swift's engagement post on Instagram reaching 33 million "likes".

The company's chief people officer acknowledged that employee focus was likely distracted by the news and encouraged staff to enjoy the moment, promising that work would resume once the internet "calms down."

H&R Block's decision reflects its pride in Kansas City, where both the company and Kelce are based, and its desire to share in city-wide joy. The engagement quickly became a viral phenomenon, and other companies joined the trend by offering themed discounts and public congratulations to capitalize on the "Swiftonomics" effect.

Brands like Olipop, Krispy Kreme, and Buffalo Wild Wings posted celebratory messages and unique promotions connected to the couple's wedding plans.

Source: https://fortune.com/2025/08/28/tax-company-in-kansas-city-gave-thousands-of-workers-the-afternoon-off-to-celebrate-taylor-swift-and-travis-kelce-engagement/

So, the question for our readers is: Should Employers Give Time Off For The Upcoming Swift/Kelce Marriage?  

Here is the opinion of one of the McCalmon editorial staff:

Jack McCalmon, Esq.

No. Employers should not give time off for the Swift/Kelce marriage, and they should not have given time off for the engagement announcement. It is difficult to see the value of this decision or any future decision like it beyond generating a short-term, self-serving public relations buzz. It raises the question of what criteria will be used in the future to decide which celebrity engagements or marriages merit time off, creating ambiguity, possible resentment among employees, and discrimination risk. Many may privately wonder why their own personal milestones or family commitments are not granted the same flexibility, and whether they would have preferred to work that day and use their time off for something personally meaningful. Moves like this can prompt broader doubts about whether the employer's approach to time off is fair and whether it could lead to requests for more spontaneous or discretionary leave, complicating workplace expectations and morale.

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