The UK continues to be wrapped up in World Cup fever, and it has created new warningsfor businesses to get a grip on the management of sick leave.

England inflicted the first ever World Cup defeat on co-hosts Mexico at their iconic Azteca Stadium, but the game was delayed due to storm threats leaving kick off at 2am on Monday morning for those across the UK.

With bars and restaurants given special dispensation to open until 5am millions of fans stayed up to watch the gripping 3-2 victory, prompting concerns many would struggle to get to work and school a few hours later.

Indeed, in his post-match comments two goal England hero Jude Bellingham told fans of all ages who stayed up to call in sick and enjoy the day as nights and such victory do not occur often.

Now they face a Saturday night Quarter Final against Norway which will kick off at 22.00 BST and if victorious, celebrations are likely to last long into the night

However, there is a broader fear from many is that staff crying off work is not confined to major sporting events in the early hours.

There is a growing concern from many in management that sick days are viewed as part of the staff holiday entitlement and that they should be utilised as such.

Charlotte O’Brien, Head of Employee Benefits at insurer, MetLife UK said: “England’s historic win over Mexico being delayed means many fans may have faced a sleepless night. According to BrightHR, the tournament could result in 3.6 million sick days, and the  game may have tempted many fans to pull a ‘sickie’.

“This isn’t just about football fever; it highlights a broader blind spot in workplace attendance.

“Our recent Prevention Advantage 2026 guide reveals that one in six (16%) UK businesses do not monitor absenteeism at all. The report found that for a business of 25 people, prevention tactics could save a business £3,243 per year in short-term absence costs, or £130 per employee. For Monday morning’s game, offering flexible starts or remote working might have been the most effective way of meeting employees’ wellbeing needs and reducing costs for small businesses.”

The balance between  productivity and staff protection is one that can often be delicate, but businesses need to manage absences to ensure that the use of sick days is not abused.

Jon Guy, Editor

Emerging Risks