Matchday management | England's 1am kick off - how HR can tackle a Monday morning World Cup sickie surge

England's 1am World Cup clash against Mexico on Monday morning has prompted fresh warnings for employers to prepare for a potential rise in sickness absences, late starts and annual leave requests.

New research from AO.com found that more than a quarter (27%) of football fans would consider "throwing a sickie" or calling in late if England win in the early hours, with that figure rising to 45% among those aged 25 to 34.

While employment experts say organisations should not panic, they agree HR teams should use the days before kick-off to communicate expectations clearly, consider reasonable flexibility where possible and ensure any decisions are applied consistently.

Set expectations before kick-off

Perhaps the strongest message from employment specialists is that employers should not wait until Monday morning to decide how they will respond.