At 01:00 BST on Monday, England face Mexico in a World Cup match that will keep millions of fans awake into the small hours. But for those who work in offices, the morning after has become a test of employer flexibility – and at least one London finance firm has already decided it is a no-brainer.
Joshua Elash, who runs MT Finance Group, is allowing all 125 of his staff to start work at 11:00 on Monday instead of the usual 08:45 or 09:00. "It wasn't a dilemma at all. This was as close to a no-brainer as a business can get," he says. His company normally requires everyone to work from the office and does not have a work-from-home policy. But Elash says he and other senior managers will be staying up to watch the game, and it is only fair to extend the same courtesy to the rest of the team.
“London boss lets staff start at 11 after England's 1am World Cup match, calling it a no-brainer.”
"It's good for morale," he says, adding that even if Monday is not a particularly productive day overall, it will be worth it. "Some things are more important than, you know, a day's revenue."
While manufacturing production lines, frontline retail and hospitality cannot offer such flexibility, the government gave pubs permission to stay open until 05:00 on Monday. Employers are now being urged to use their "common sense and understanding" and allow flexible working requests where possible. The TUC, the umbrella group for trade unions, says bosses should let staff work from home, start later, make up hours in the near future, or swap shifts.
John Palmer, senior advisor at conciliation service Acas, cautions that requests must be treated fairly – noting there will be Mexico fans as well as England supporters in the workforce. Some staff with no interest in football may be happy to swap shifts, he adds. But employees should be aware it might not be possible to book time off at short notice.
Kate Shoesmith, director of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, acknowledges that for shift workers in many industries flexibility simply will not be possible. Yet she says she is confident most employers will be thoughtful about the situation. As Monday approaches, the question remains: how many bosses will share Joshua Elash's view that some things are more important than a day's revenue?