World Cup fans are predicted to take at least 3.6 million sick days during the tournament, at a cost of £94 million to employers. The time difference between the UK, the US, Canada, and Mexico means matches are kicking off late at night or in the early hours, making the following day the most likely for absences.
Impact of Late Kick-Offs
Late kick-offs and extended licensing hours at pubs are also expected to affect sickness rates, according to payroll services BrightHR. The risks of calling in sick when not actually ill include disciplinary action and, in severe cases, dismissal.
Increase in Holiday Requests
As well as a surge in sick days, BrightHR data shows businesses are expecting a significant increase in holiday requests. June 18, the day after England's first group match against Croatia (with a 9pm start), is already the most booked-off day for over-60s for the entire tournament.
Alan Price, CEO at BrightHR, said: "There could be many reasons for this. With a 9pm kick-off, maybe older employees are planning a lie-in after a late night. Or other workers could potentially be saving their annual leave for the school holidays, which start just after the tournament ends."
Employer Rights and Recommendations
Employees can request holiday around the World Cup, but bosses are not obligated to approve time off. They also do not have to approve requests for later start times if it is not in the business's interests. Employee lateness increased by 50% after Euro 2024 matches.
Employers can decline annual leave requests to ensure business needs are met, and this is no different during the World Cup. For bosses deciding whether to approve holiday, Mr Price advised: "It's advisable not to use any criterion that you wouldn't normally use to help you decide. For example, granting the request of an English employee over that of another nationality for time off the day after an England match could give rise to claims of discrimination."
Watching Matches at Work
It is also up to employers to decide whether to allow staff to watch matches while working. BrightHR says this decision will likely depend on the type of work and will mainly affect shift workers during this tournament.
BrightHR analysed absence data from over 1.2 million employees across 68,879 businesses in the UK.
