11/06/2026
⚽ Here We Go, Here We Go, Here We Go ⚽
The World Cup has officially kicked off, the opening ceremony is done, Mexico got off to the perfect start and somewhere in the UK an employee is already wondering if they can leave early for the next big game... or come in late because the fixture schedule isn't particularly kind to us English folk! 😄
Which means employers across the country are preparing themselves for:
🤒 The mysterious 24-hour bug
📅 The sudden influx of annual leave requests
📱 Employees who definitely aren't checking the score under the desk
Let's be honest, if England (other nationalities are available too 😉) are playing in a knockout match, half your workforce will either be watching it, talking about it or thinking about it.
Pretending otherwise rarely works.
Instead:
✔ Encourage people to book leave early
✔ Consider a bit of flexibility where you can
✔ Plan around key fixtures
✔ Have some fun with a sweepstake or competition
✔ Remember not everyone loves football (apparently)
A little flexibility now can save a lot of headaches later.
And if you're wondering whether:
"Sorry I'm late, there was an accident on the road..."
..is still going to work when half the office saw your celebratory Instagram post at 1am...
Probably not. 😏
How does your workplace handle major sporting events?
Here's my little 'Paul Scholes' from a few years ago 😉
