As England prepare to face Mexico in a 1am kick-off on Monday, businesses across the country are grappling with how to handle the day after – and at least one London finance firm has opted for a late start all round.
Joshua Elash, who runs MT Finance Group from the capital, will let his 125 employees begin work at 11:00 on Monday, rather than the usual 08:45 or 09:00. “It wasn’t a dilemma at all,” he said. “This was as close to a no-brainer as a business can get.”
“London boss Joshua Elash lets staff start at 11am after England's 1am World Cup match, calling it a 'no-brainer'.”
The decision means that for one morning only, the company – which ordinarily requires all staff to be in the office and does not have a work-from-home policy – will be operating at reduced hours. Elash and other senior managers plan to stay up for the match, and he says it is only fair to extend the same courtesy to the rest of the team. “It’s good for morale,” he said, adding that he is willing to accept a less productive Monday. “Some things are more important than, you know, a day’s revenue.”
The flexibility being offered by Elash is exactly the kind of common-sense approach that employers are being urged to adopt. The TUC, the umbrella body for trade unions, has called on bosses to allow staff to work from home, start later and make up hours in the near future, or swap shifts where possible.
John Palmer, senior adviser at conciliation service Acas, said firms must treat requests for time off fairly, noting that there will be Mexico fans as well as England supporters in the workforce. He added that some staff who have no interest in the football may be happy to swap shifts.
But not every sector can offer the same flexibility. The British Chambers of Commerce said that businesses where shift patterns are rigid – including manufacturing production lines, frontline retail and hospitality – will find it far more challenging. Its director of policy, Kate Shoesmith, said: “Ultimately, there will be some jobs, such as shift work, where it won’t be possible but we’re confident most employers will be thinking…”
The government has already weighed in, announcing on Thursday that pubs will be allowed to stay open until 05:00 on Monday to cater to fans watching the match.
For Elash, the decision was straightforward. “Under normal circumstances, all 125 of them would be here in the office at 08:45 or 09:00 Monday morning,” he said. “But that certainly won’t be the case this Monday.”