Up to 4.8 million exhausted workers could bunk off or arrive late this morning after England’s World Cup knockout battle against Mexico – a match experts warn is a “perfect recipe for a national hangover”.
The rare event, which has taken all-day drinking to an unprecedented level, is expected to rank among the “top three hangover days of the year”, according to Dr Sally Adams, an associate professor of psychology at Birmingham University and a hangover specialist.
“Millions expected to call in sick after England's World Cup clash, with experts warning of a 'national hangover'.”
“The combination of the sunny weather, lack of sleep and extra hours of drinking is the perfect recipe for a national hangover,” she said. “I think it has the potential to be one of the biggest days of the year for hangovers – in the top three, alongside the day after Halloween, the last Friday at work in December, and New Year’s Day.”
England captain Harry Kane had earlier called on fans to celebrate “as the sun’s rising at 5, 6am”, prompting fears of mass absenteeism. But bosses are being urged not to “jump to conclusions” and discipline staff who “throw a sickie” after the high-altitude clash at the Estadio Azteca. Schools have also been told not to punish pupils for bad attendance.
Employment lawyers warn it is very risky to assume a no-show is linked to supporting England – even if there is direct evidence the worker was drinking just a few hours earlier.
For those who do wake up with what Dr Adams calls “hangxiety” – a cocktail of sleeplessness, sporting stress and alcohol – she has two clear instructions. “Avoid ‘hair of the dog’. Do not drink more alcohol. Your vital organs – especially your liver – need a break to recover,” she said. “And stay away from expensive products that claim they’re going to cure your hangover.”
Instead, the secret to surviving the next 24 hours could be broccoli, a cooked breakfast and a “cheeky nap”. Dr Adams warns that even people who blow zero on a breathalyser the next day “have poorer decision-making, poorer reaction times, poorer attention”.
As the bleary-eyed nation copes with the aftermath, the question remains: how many will actually make it into work?