Let staff watch the England-Slovenia match, unions urge employers

Employers will ultimately score an own goal if they deny staff the opportunity to watch England’s vital World Cup match with Slovenia on Wednesday afternoon, unions are warning.

Where possible, employees should be allowed to work flexibly to enable them to watch the final phase of group games that start this afternoon, according to the Trades Union Congress.

This might mean allowing staff to leave the office or, if appropriate, watch the matches somewhere on the premises, the TUC says.

The biggest challenge for employers is likely to come tomorrow at 3pm when England face Slovenia in a must-win match in Group C. Some employers have reportedly refused to allow employees to watch the match unless they take annual leave, while others have made arrangements to show the match internally. 

Other more football-friendly employers, meanwhile, have decided to allow staff to head to the pub, figuring that the long term goodwill generated will outweigh any immediate drop in productivity.

'To avoid any tensions bosses should discuss the issue with their staff,' said Brendan Barber of the TUC. 'We would encourage them to let people watch the games if they like - and then claim back their time afterwards. That way, everyone wins.

‘Whether it's about major events like the World Cup or picking up the kids from school, allowing people more flexibility in how and when they do their work makes them happier - cutting absenteeism and raising productivity for their employers.’

Should England beat Slovenia tomorrow they will face their next opponents on Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon, meaning most employers will be unaffected. In the unlikely event of further progress England will face quarter final opponents on either the evening of Friday 2 July or the afternoon of Saturday 3 July.