England's Euro Final – Are You Booking Monday Off?

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09 July 2021

The England vs Italy Euros final on Sunday may have an effect on employee absence, according to the CIPD.

This is the first time the male English football team has reached a major international final since 1966.

David D’Souza, Membership Director of the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, says he expects some "sore heads" on Monday morning, given the enormity of the event:

"For those who are expecting to go all out in their celebrations, they should probably book time off on Monday, regardless of the result.

“Businesses should be clear on their expectations of staff, but also recognise that many will see Sunday’s game as one of the biggest sporting moments of their life. It’s highly unlikely we’ll see ‘business as usual’ across Sunday night and into Monday."

 

"Given the year we’ve all had, employers should recognise these exceptional circumstances and the morale boost it’s bringing to so many. They should think about how they can enjoy this moment as a business and be a little more flexible on their usual rules where they can."

–David D’Souza

Membership Director, CIPD

 

Calls for a National Holiday

 

300,000+ people have signed a petition calling on Boris Johnson to grant a one-off Bank Holiday for Monday, given the national significance of the event. 

Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), told The Independent that: “If England bring it home on Sunday, government should allow the country to celebrate by announcing a special bank holiday."

Marketing firm Verb Brands' CEO is allowing all of his 65 staff a free day off, and many others will operate more flexible working policies after the game.

 

Morale Boost

 

D’Souza continued:

"Given the year we’ve all had, employers should recognise these exceptional circumstances and the morale boost it’s bringing to so many. They should think about how they can enjoy this moment as a business and be a little more flexible on their usual rules where they can.

“For example, for people those who have to work during the match, they might allow staff to have access to a screen so they don’t miss out while carrying out their duties.

“Looking ahead to Monday, employers may want to offer flexible working solutions such as later start times or early finishes. These should be open to everyone, not just football fans to be inclusive. Any changes in hours will also need to be clearly communicated to customers."

 

Absence Spike?

 

D’Souza predicts  businesses may see a spike in absences on Monday of people "pulling a sickie":

"Again, for those who expect to be a little worse for wear, we would suggest booking the day off to avoid any abuses of sickness policy. If businesses do suspect abuse of the system, we would suggest that they reiterate the policy and what consequences may be if it is repeatedly tested.

“The knock-on effects of this kind of event highlight that flexibility isn’t always open to all. Some of those currently working from home may easily benefit from a lie in, or a change in working hours in on Monday, whereas those that work on-site or in a customer-facing environment will have far fewer options. That’s why it’s important that businesses explore all kinds of flexibility for staff, looking at when and how they work, not just where.”  

 

Monday a Common Sickie Day

 

According to research by The Elas Group, who offers HR support, employment law advice and a range of H&S and absence management consultancy services, the Top 10 days of 2019 for employee absences all fell on a Monday:

September 16 | February 4 | April 29 | June 10 | January 28 | January 7 | April 1 | January 2 | January 14 | June 3

Picture: a close-up photograph of a football pitch

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 09 July 2021

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