Setting expectations early to minimise disruption
With matches hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States, kick-off times for UK audiences will fall anywhere from early evening through to the early hours. As a result, some disruption to normal working patterns is likely. Employers who take a considered approach early on are generally better placed to manage both operational demands and employee expectations.
Recent guidance from ACAS highlights the value of setting clear expectations before issues arise, rather than responding to them after the fact.
Increased absence and holiday requests
It’s reasonable to expect a rise in holiday requests during the tournament. Some employees will want to watch matches live, attend related events or recover from late nights. While this is not unusual, it can create strain on staffing if not managed carefully.
Requests should be handled consistently, with clear communication around what can and can’t be accommodated. The priority is to maintain sufficient cover without giving the impression of unfairness or favouritism.
Attendance and sickness concerns
Large sporting events are often accompanied by short-term spikes in absence and lateness. In most cases, this is manageable, but it does underline the importance of reminding employees that existing attendance and sickness policies still apply.
Keeping expectations visible helps reduce ambiguity. Where issues do arise, they should be approached in line with established procedures, rather than treated informally or inconsistently.
Fatigue and fitness for work
With some fixtures scheduled overnight, fatigue is more than a minor concern. For employees in safety-critical roles, or those working with equipment or vehicles, tiredness can present a genuine risk. Employers should take this into account when reviewing schedules and workloads. In some cases, a small adjustment may be enough to reduce risk. More broadly, reinforcing the expectation that staff arrive fit for work is both reasonable and necessary.
Alcohol and workplace conduct
Celebrations linked to sporting events do not always end at the final whistle. This can occasionally affect behaviour in or around the workplace, particularly where alcohol is involved.
A clear reminder of expected standards can help prevent issues from arising. This is particularly important where roles involve driving, operating machinery or dealing directly with customers. Consistency in how these standards are applied remains key.
Productivity and technology use
Access to live scores, commentary and social media make it easy for the tournament to filter into the working day. While a degree of flexibility may be appropriate in some settings, it is still important to maintain clarity around acceptable use of time and company systems.
Setting out expectations in advance helps avoid misunderstandings. In practice, most issues arise not from deliberate misuse, but from a lack of clear boundaries.
Managing the risk
Taking a structured but proportionate approach will make it easier to balance employee engagement with day-to-day business needs.
Practical steps include:
- Reviewing attendance, leave and flexible working arrangements
- Reconfirming expectations around conduct and, where relevant, alcohol use
- Considering fatigue risks, particularly for shift-based or safety-critical roles
- Clarifying acceptable use of phones, internet access and social media
- Applying policies consistently across teams and individuals
- Encouraging respectful behaviour, recognising the range of teams and nationalities being supported.
A potential business benefit
Handled well, events like the World Cup can have a positive effect on morale. They offer a shared point of interest and, in some cases, an opportunity to bring teams together. Allowing a reasonable level of flexibility, where operationally viable, can contribute to engagement without undermining productivity. The balance is not always straightforward, but it is achievable with some forethought.
Ultimately, the aim is simple: to support interest in the tournament without allowing it to create avoidable operational, safety or compliance issues.
At Clear Risk Management, we support organisations in identifying and addressing workplace risks before they develop into more significant problems. This includes areas such as attendance, health and safety, wellbeing and wider people-related risk.
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