Are you World Cup ready?

The World Cup kicked off on Thursday, 11 June 2026 and runs through to Sunday 19 July 2026, with matches being hosted across the USA, Mexico and Canada, the first time the tournament has been shared between three countries. 

With the world’s biggest football event underway, many will be looking forward to their own goal-den moments, whether that’s celebrating a last-minute winner or sneaking a quick score check between meetings. 

So, the question remains: are employers ready for the drop in productivity, last-minute “appointments,” and employees suddenly becoming experts in international football overnight? And perhaps more importantly, will “extra time” start taking on a whole new meaning in the workplace, less about overtime, and more about watching penalties?

With kick-off times varying largely for UK employers, there are a few things that should be kept in mind:

Flexibility and hybrid working

UK kick-off times will vary significantly, ranging from early evening fixtures at around 5:00pm BST through to late-night and early morning starts, including 11:00pm, 2:00am, 3:00am and even 5:00am BST, meaning some matches slot neatly into the working day, while others spill well into the early hours.

Over a month-long tournament, disrupted sleep can quickly add up, affecting productivity and posing particular risks for those in safety-critical or driving roles. A solution to this is to offer more flexibility. This can include shorter lunch breaks to enable earlier finishes, taking breaks during match times or swapping shifts where possible. Flexibility with start and end times may also be offered. Although some employers are able to offer hybrid working, employees should still be available and productive during working hours, and this should be reiterated.

It is important to be fair to all employees during this period, and manage requests in a consistent manner.

Absences, annual leave and fitness for work

Sickness and attendance policies still apply throughout this period. It may be useful to remind employees of the policies in place, confirming that any unauthorised absences or late attendance will still be investigated in the usual manner, and will follow through to formal proceedings if necessary. As Statutory Sick Pay is now applicable from day 1, employers may want to consider ‘suspicious absences’ and how they might be managed. 

Ensure to handle any annual leave requests consistently and fairly, as there may be a spike of requests around home nation matches. Perhaps consider and apply annual leave on a first come first serve basis. 

Due to the nature of the late night matches and social events surrounding match times, there may be an increase in alcohol consumption. Employees should be reminded of the health and safety obligations, especially those in safety-critical, driving or operating machinery roles. Any concerns that arise should be dealt with in line with disciplinary or substance abuse policies. 

Use of social media

There will no doubt be an increase in use of social media, as commentary of the matches, live updates and real time reactions will take over feeds. Employers should remind employees of the social media policies in place and encourage them to be mindful of both the content they share and their use of social media during working hours, as posts, even in their own time, may still have workplace implications

Football banter and discrimination

Sporting banter is a good way to build team spirit and bring people together, but employers should be mindful of the risk of harassment or discrimination. Rivalries between home nations may start off innocently, but they can also cross the line.

Employees should be reminded any comments about race, culture, religion, ethnicity or nationality can become inappropriate, constituting discrimination or harassment.

Any complaints raised should be investigated and taken seriously. This is not to say team morale should be brought down, just that employees should be reminded of their conduct both in and outside of the workplace, and that football is not an excuse for offensive comments or behaviour that make others feel uncomfortable. 

Be prepared to tackle any inappropriate behaviour head on!