Lionesses World Cup Final 2023 and the Employment Law implications
The Lionesses have reached the World Cup Final and will face Spain on Sunday 20 August at 11am. Following the Lionesses successful Euros campaign in 2022, they now have their focus on bringing home the 2023 Fifa World Cup trophy.
The match will be shown across on free-to-air TV and with the semi-final having received approximately 11 million viewers, the Lionesses will undoubtedly receive a lot of support across the UK and beyond.
Some employers may be conscious that for those employees working on weekends, there could be a drop in employee productivity whilst they watch the highly anticipated match. Employers should be aware of this and take proactive steps prior to any coverage in order to establish any rules. For example, employers may wish to make it clear to the employees whether or not they are permitted to watch the final whilst at work, and if so, any conditions upon this. Alternatively, with the match being at 11am, employers could suggest employees take an early extended lunch break and make up any additional time either before or after work.
Employers should also remind employees to be mindful of any company IT policy which may provide relevant guidance for appropriate internet use, particularly if using company equipment.
Employers may also be wary of the fact there could be a few sore heads in the office on Monday morning, or employees may call in sick because of this. Alternatively, for those employees working on the Sunday, if they were to falsely call in sick in order to watch the match, the employer may be entitled to bring disciplinary action. In falsely calling in to work sick, the employee would be breaching the implied term of mutual trust and confidence within the contract. The employer should remind the employees of any internal policies in relation to the appropriate use of sick leave and the consequences of unauthorised absence.
Rollits’ dedicated employment team are well-placed to provide both employers and individuals with advice on how best to deal with any employment related issues arising as a result of the World Cup or otherwise.
