Soundbite: The World Cup and Workplace Attendance: Planning Ahead Pays Off
The World Cup and Workplace Attendance: Planning Ahead Pays Off
Major sporting events like the World Cup can be a fantastic opportunity to boost morale, but they can also present real challenges for employers when it comes to attendance, productivity and short-notice absences.
The key message is therefore to plan ahead. Employers who take a proactive, balanced approach are far less likely to spend tournament weeks dealing with “unexpected” sickness absence calls.
The 2026 World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July and because it is being hosted across the USA, Canada and Mexico, many matches fall outside typical UK working hours.
For UK employers, this creates a mixed picture:
- Some matches will fall in the late afternoon or early evening
- Many will take place in the evening (around 5pm to 9pm)
- Others will be late at night or even in the early hours of the morning
In practice, this means disruption may arise not just during the working day, but also the following morning where employees have stayed up late to watch matches.
England matches, and wider interest
While England fixtures may drive the highest interest, it is important to remember that not all employees will support England. Many workplaces have diverse teams with colleagues supporting other nations or simply following high-profile matches. That can mean demand for time off across a much wider range of fixtures, not just those involving England. That said, England’s group matches are likely to be key pressure points:
- Wednesday, 17 June, 9pm (UK) – England v Croatia
- Tuesday, 23 June, 9pm (UK) – England v Ghana
- Saturday, 27 June, 10pm (UK) – Panama v England
All three are late evening kick-offs, which may reduce disruption during the working day (where your staff work typical 9-5 hours) but increase the likelihood of tiredness, lateness or sickness absence the following day.
You may also want to confirm how you intend to approach the tournament, so expectations are clear and consistently applied. You could highlight that should staff want to take any specific dates off, they can use their annual leave, subject to business needs.
You may therefore want to encourage staff to book annual leave in advance for key matches and operate requests on a first come, first served basis if demand for particular dates is high.
Undoubtedly, flexibility can go a long way and a degree of flexibility can reduce disruption overall. Options might include adjusting start and finish times, allowing employees to make up time and/or permitting longer or staggered breaks to follow matches. In many cases, this will be more effective than refusing requests outright and risking disengagement or informal absence.
Some employers may choose to embrace the tournament and allow matches to be watched in the workplace, particularly for major fixtures. Handled well, this can boost morale and team engagement.
Sickness absence
As always, sickness absence must be genuine. However, employers should remain alert to patterns, for example absence following late evening matches or repeated absence linked to particular fixtures.
We would recommend following normal reporting procedures and holding return-to-work meetings. If there are concerns, these can be investigated.
In reality and where business needs allow, providing some controlled flexibility is often more effective than dealing with unexplained absences the next morning. Whatever approach you take, consistency is crucial and a clear and consistent approach will reduce the risk of complaints.
In our experience, employers who strike the right balance see the best results.
Top tips
- Encourage openness about requests
- Plan for key fixtures, but recognise broader interest
- Offer reasonable flexibility where possible
- Maintain clear boundaries
- Apply policies consistently
Taking a pragmatic approach is often far more effective than saying “no” across the board, only to receive a spike in “sickness” calls when the knockout stages begin.
If you would like help drafting a short World Cup policy or communicating your approach to staff, please get in touch with a member of the team.