Summary: From flexible working requests and unplanned absences to social media conduct and harassment risks, the World Cup raises a wide range of potential HR issues. Employers need to ensure they are prepared to keep workplaces fair, inclusive and productive throughout the tournament.
The 2026 World Cup is set to be the biggest yet.
Hosted across the US, Canada and Mexico, it features 48 nations and 104 matches. Meaning more time zones, more late or early morning kick-offs nights and more potential for both excitement and disruption at work.
For HR, though, the tournament presents a genuine opportunity. A chance to bring people together, foster engagement and spark a pre-match chat round the coffee machine.
The challenge for HR over the next four weeks is striking the right balance.
Tricky time zones
The various host country time zones could cause issues for avid home football fans (and their managers) with early morning and late evening kick offs to catch the games live.
What if employees want to watch games (or replays) during working time?
For HR, this is a chance to be clear:
- Is it appropriate for employees to watch games (or replays) during working hours? If so, what are the viewing boundaries?
- If appropriate, consider showing key matches in communal areas (times permitting)
- Involve employees in choosing which games to show
- If live viewing at work isn’t practical, communicate the message early and clearly to manage expectations.
Consistency and clarity are going to be key here: productivity comes first.
If employees are permitted to watch games during working time, this should be clearly communicated. The message that watching is incidental and should not interfere with work should be reinforced.
Consistency and clarity are going to be key
Inclusive engagement
Remember that not everyone is a football fan or supports a particular nation. Colleagues may be backing different nations or have no interest in football at all.
The most inclusive approach treats the World Cup as a hook for connection rather than a ‘football-only’ affair.
A themed quiz, charity bake sale celebrating the competing countries or wellbeing initiative can bring balance and access for all employees.
If you do allow staff to decorate their workspaces, set clear guidelines on taste, acceptability, dress code and how long decorations stay up.
Flexibility and time off
Expect a rise in holiday requests, alongside requests to adjust hours or take longer breaks around kick-off times.
Each request should be considered fairly, consistently and in line with existing policies.
Take care here: agreeing to time off for one country’s games, such as England or Scotland, while refusing the same for a colleague supporting another nation could carry discriminatory consequences.
Where you cannot accommodate a request, explain why and look for alternatives.
Sometimes flexing a start time is preferable to managing the lateness or absence that may follow a refusal.
Managing absence
Short-notice absence can be hugely disruptive, particularly after late finishes or big results.
Stick to your normal rules: employees should report absence in the usual way and provide evidence where required.
Ensure managers are holding return-to-work interviews and escalating attendance concerns.
If you suspect the rules are not being followed, or that an absence is not genuine, your sickness, unauthorised absence or disciplinary policies can give you recourse.
Expect a rise in holiday requests, alongside requests to adjust hours or take longer breaks around kick-off times
Conduct and your employer brand
Employees are ambassadors for your organisation, inside and outside the workplace.
The legal definition of being ‘at work’ is wide and can extend to after-work gatherings and events run by third parties, including clients and networking contacts.
Set out clearly what behaviour is acceptable. Remind staff that the standards expected of them don’t simply clock off at the final whistle.
This is also a good time to revisit the preventative duty on sexual harassment, as well as third party harassment risks.
Remember, from October 2026, the legal, preventative duty in relation to sexual harassment increases from reasonable steps to “all” reasonable steps. Plus there is the introduction of third-party harassment liability (including in relation to sexual harassment).
If you are running social events, hosting third-party guests or sending staff to external functions (particularly if alcohol will be there), review your risk assessments, refresh manager and employee prevention training and make sure your policies on anti-harassment and bullying and preventing sexual harassment are up to date and widely communicated.
Mind the “bants”
Social media is where good-natured rivalry can tip over into abuse.
Posts, messages, likes and shares, even on personal accounts, can cause lasting employer reputational damage, lead to breaches of conduct policies and may amount to harassment or discrimination allegations.
There is no realistic expectation of privacy. Even with the tightest settings messages can be screenshotted and forwarded in seconds.
Check whether your social media policy covers personal accounts as well as company ones. Ensure staff understand the risks and consequences.
Whilst employers should avoid ‘knee-jerk’ reactions and always investigate potential misuse of social media, the simplest advice for employees remains the best: think before you post.
The final whistle
Much of how you manage the next couple of months will come down to employer choice and workplace culture.
Whatever you decide, the winning formula is the same: revisit your policies, communicate early and clearly, lead by example and set boundaries that keep everyone included and protected as far as possible.
Remind staff to be respectful, tolerant and mindful of others and make sure managers, especially on equality and inclusion, are up to speed.
Common sense goes a long way. It is, after all, only a game.
Actionable insights:
- Be clear and consistent: If employees can watch games during working hours, say so and set boundaries around when and where, and make sure everyone understands that productivity still comes first.
- Ensure inclusivity: Not everyone follows football or supports the same nation. Treat the World Cup as a hook for connection rather than a ‘football-only’ affair.
- Be flexible and fair: Each request for time off or changes to working hours should be considered fairly, consistently and in line with existing policies.
- Stick to your normal rules: employees should report absence the normal way, managers should be conducting return-to-work interviews, and genuine concerns about attendance should be escalated as they would be at any other time of year.
- Remind staff that conduct doesn’t stop at the final whistle: Make clear what’s expected, revisit your harassment and social media policies, and with tougher legal duties on sexual harassment arriving in October 2026, get your training and risk assessments updated now.
If you found this article useful, read: How to: Effectively manage workplace investigations
