From pitch to payroll: Navigating World Cup workplace challenges

'In life, as in football, you won't go far unless you know where the goalposts are'. – Arnold H Glasow

The World Cup has a unique ability to unite people across borders, spark office debates, and fill break rooms with the sound of match commentary. For employers, the tournament brings an infectious energy that can genuinely boost morale - but it also brings a distinct set of employment law and workplace management challenges. From managing a flood of annual leave requests to tackling discriminatory banter, getting ahead of these issues is key. Think of it as your pre-match tactical briefing: a clear game plan now will help avoid red cards later.

With the FIFA World Cup underway, many employers will have already witnessed their employee's excitement towards the matches. The ensuing games are scheduled to fall within working hours in England, so many employees may want to take annual leave to watch the games or monitor scores on their phones during the working day. In the workplace itself, displays of support towards differing teams may result in employee conflict.

ACAS have released updated guidance for employers in light of the tournament, and you will find our recommendations in line with this below.

Annual leave

Employers may experience a spike in annual leave requests. Such requests need to be managed to ensure there is sufficient employee resource for work commitments across match days. Inevitably, however, accepting some requests at the expense of others can lead to a perception of favouritism.

As such, employers should ask that leave requests be submitted in a timely manner, apply their annual leave policies consistently across requests and consider implementing a 'first-come, first-served' approach.

Flexible working and proactive arrangements

Before the leave requests start piling up, employers may wish to consider whether proactive flexibility could ease the pressure. Options such as shifted start and finish times, extended lunch breaks to accommodate key matches, or even setting up a communal screening area can go a long way towards building goodwill without significantly disrupting productivity.

These measures signal to employees that the business acknowledges their enthusiasm rather than simply policing it—and a workforce that feels trusted is often a more productive one. Any flexibility offered should, of course, be applied consistently across the workforce to avoid perceptions of unfairness.

Sickness absence

Employers may witness a rise in sickness absences during the tournament. Statutory sick pay is now a day-one right, which poses a particular risk where sickness leave suspiciously aligns with match days. Imagine, for example, an employee who calls in sick the morning after a late group-stage match, only to be spotted celebrating on social media. It is important to avoid jumping to conclusions about the motivations behind a sick day, whilst staying attuned to the risk that such leave may not be genuine. Implementing return-to-work interviews as a standard procedure after sickness absence can be a helpful mechanism to ensure employees do not abuse such rights.

The expansion of day-one rights under recent legislative reforms makes it all the more important for employers to have robust absence management procedures in place, so that any patterns of suspicious absence can be addressed fairly and consistently.

Alcohol and substance misuse

Evening matches and social events may lead to increased alcohol consumption before work, and employees may be more inclined to drink alcohol on lunch breaks during the workday alongside the match festivities.

Employers should reiterate their policy on alcohol and substance misuse, with specific clarity around whether drinking on lunch breaks during the workday is permitted and the consequences if employees arrive to work intoxicated.

Intoxicated employees pose a particular risk in construction or operational environments. Employers will need to be attuned to this risk, to ensure compliance with the health and safety standards expected of them.

Social media and monitoring

Risk involving social media is not isolated to working hours only. Employees may be more inclined to use social media during working hours to follow match results and commentary. In addition, however, employees may vocalise their opinions towards the game, players and teams on social media platforms. Where it's clear an individual is an employee of a specific organisation, offensive and inappropriate posts cause reputational risk for employers.

Employers should be clear about boundaries and reiterate expected standards of language and behaviour, including giving consideration to drawing people's attention to any equality, diversity and social media policies already in place.

Where employers intend to monitor internet usage or social media activity during working hours, they should be mindful of their obligations under data protection legislation. Any monitoring should be proportionate, transparent, and clearly communicated to employees in advance, ideally through an existing acceptable use or monitoring policy.

Conduct issues

An employee's passion for their 'home' team can result in criticising competing teams and their players. Healthy banter at work can be beneficial to the business, helping build team spirit and morale In the past, however, sporting events have often led to racist and xenophobic rhetoric, and there is a risk of these manifesting in the workplace through discriminatory treatment.

Given the international nature of the World Cup, employers should be particularly alive to comments tied to nationality or national origin that may veer into xenophobia or prejudice, especially in the current political climate. Employers are well advised to remind employees of a non-tolerance approach to jokes based on nationality, to reinforce expectations around dignity and respect to remind them that discriminatory behaviour on grounds of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation or national orientation will not be tolerated.

Post-match conduct

It is also worth considering what happens after the final whistle. Late-night matches can leave employees fatigued and less productive the following day. Results, particularly unexpected ones, can lead to heated discussions in the office that risk spilling over into genuine conflict. Employers should encourage managers to be attuned to the mood of their teams in the days following high-profile matches and to intervene early if discussions become inappropriate or disruptive.

Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes are one of eight types of lotteries that are regulated by the Gambling Commission. It is advisable to devise a policy on whether gambling is prohibited and/or making clear what the maximum financial contribution is on workplace gambling.

It is worth remembering that some employees may abstain from gambling for personal, religious or financial reasons. Pressure to participate – even if well-intentioned – can feel exclusionary. Employers can ensure an inclusive atmosphere by offering a range of employee engagement initiatives across the tournament and summer, so that no one feels left on the sidelines.

Consistency

Employers should be consistent in their approach to handling issues during the World Cup, especially around the approach to requests for leave and/or to work from home, ensuring that any flexibility offered to home-country supporters is extended to supporters of other countries.

This also applies equally to employees working from home. Although employers may have less visibility over activities- it is important to communicate policies to all employees, including those working remotely.

Final whistle

It is natural for employment law considerations to arise around such international sporting tournaments. Employers will want to strike a balance between supporting excitement towards the event whilst ensuring workloads are met and a positive culture is maintained. Communicating clear expectations to the workforce about how the tournament sits alongside work commitments can go some way in achieving this.

Proactive preparation is the best strategy. Employers should ensure their managers are well attuned to how employees might react to such tournaments, ready to respond to workplace risks as they arise and to foster a positive culture from the outset.

Investing in management training – such as Foot Anstey's highly commended '21^st Century Manager' sessions, can equip managers with the skills to handle these situations confidently and effectively.