The 1am Mexico v England game has left workers facing a Monday morning choice: ask for leave, start later, or risk trouble if they stay off without permission. There is no automatic right to short-notice time off for the England game, and the match could run until almost 4am if it goes to penalties.
Nicole Humphreys on notice
Nicole Humphreys said employees should not assume a late request will be enough. “Many employers will have policies setting out how holiday should be booked. Where there is no policy, employees should usually give notice of at least twice the length of the time off they are requesting,” she said.
That leaves a clear practical hurdle for fans who want to watch the game and still make work on Monday. A request for a few hours off needs advance notice that is twice that length, which means a same-day plea is unlikely to meet the standard she described.
Joanne Moseley on sick leave
Joanne Moseley said employers should already have procedures ready for staff who phone in sick for the odd day. “Employers should already have processes in place to deal with staff who phone in sick for the odd day,” she said. “These usually start with a return-to-work interview where they should be asked to explain any inconsistencies between the reason given for their absence and any observed behaviour – such as pictures of them on social media watching football in the pub.”
If the explanation does not stack up, she said the employer is likely to take disciplinary action. That matters for anyone tempted to call in sick after a late night, because the issue is not just the missed shift but the gap between the stated reason and what the employer can see.
Paul Nowak and flexible work
The TUC urged employers to let people work flexibly where they can on Monday. Its suggestion was simple: allow a later start if possible, or let staff work from home, and give them the chance to make the time back later in the week after the game.
Paul Nowak appealed to employers to show “some common sense and understanding”. For workers, that is the narrow opening in an otherwise strict rule set: no automatic right to short-notice leave, but room for flexibility if the workplace agrees to it. Fans who want to watch the match should make the request early, because taking the day off without permission can lead to disciplinary action.
