Sporting fans are spoilt for choice this summer — whatever your preference, there are tournaments, matches and action to follow in a wide range of sports, not to mention the men’s FIFA World Cup that kicks off on 11 June 2026. While this can be a time for celebration, it’s also potentially a time for HR issues to arise. For employers looking to get ahead of the game and get ready for this year’s sporting summer, we set out our top tips below.
Handling holiday requests
As is always the case, employers have flexibility when it comes to annual leave. This doesn’t change just because there are sporting events going on. However, care does need to be taken to ensure that any annual leave decisions are made fairly and without bias towards nationality. After all, many nationalities are represented in the various sporting events this summer and there is a risk of discrimination to give priority to one over another. A careful balancing exercise will need to be taken to ensure fairness to all employees — whether it’s sport that has motivated their holiday request or not.
The situation should be assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine whether leave can be taken and by any number of people at once. It will also be necessary to determine the likelihood of work being reshuffled around the team when a member is on leave, or whether those going on leave can meet their deadlines before their holiday begins.
Following events at work
Employers will need to manage this carefully. There may be employees wanting to watch the action and this won’t be limited just to home nation games and events; it would be unfair and potentially discriminatory to limit opportunities to watch matches and events that only involve a team from the UK.
The decision for who does get to watch should also be made fairly. It may be that it is possible to show events during work and allow staff to time their breaks around certain events or allow them to adjust their start/finish times around events they want to watch, so that they are in a position to work as soon as it is finished.
Unauthorised absences
It may be advisable to inform staff that attendance levels will be monitored throughout the summer and especially when there is a big event happening, to deter those who may be thinking of taking a day off regardless of whether they have had it authorised or not. Employees should be aware that any unauthorised absences will be classed as a form of misconduct, resulting in disciplinary action if this occurs.
“Banter” and discrimination risks
Even fun events in the workplace genuinely supported by employees can create some disharmony and to avoid this, care should be taken to ensure all teams are represented within the organisation and are given equal billing so that some staff are not made to feel less important than others.
The events this summer feature teams and individuals from many countries. With many businesses having diverse workforces, it is likely that employees from many different home nations will be taking part in an event. Whilst this can lead to light-hearted rivalry, careful monitoring needs to be in place to ensure no offence is caused. Reminding employees of the expectations on them and having a zero-tolerance approach to behaviour that could be deemed as harassment will work towards discouraging potentially discriminatory behaviour.
Documentation
Implementing a Major Sporting Events Policy can be beneficial to set out the organisation’s approach to these situations, including holiday requests relating to the event, unauthorised absence, following the event at work and internet and mobile phone usage.
