When England kick off against Mexico at 01:00 BST on Monday, Joshua Elash will be among the millions staying up to watch. But the chief executive of London-based finance firm MT Finance Group has already made one decision: his 125 staff can start work at 11:00 the same morning.
“It wasn’t a dilemma at all. This was as close to a no-brainer as a business can get,” Elash said. Normally, his team is expected in the office by 08:45 or 09:00 – the company has no work-from-home policy. “Under normal circumstances, all 125 of them would be here in the office at 08:45 or 09:00 Monday morning. But that certainly won’t be the case this Monday.”
“London firm MT Finance lets staff start at 11am after England's 1am World Cup match against Mexico.”
Elash and other senior managers will also be watching the game, and he believes a lie-in is only fair to extend to the rest of the team. “It’s good for morale,” he said, adding that even if Monday is not particularly productive, “some things are more important than, you know, a day’s revenue.”
The government has already allowed pubs to stay open until 05:00 on Monday to accommodate fans. Now the TUC, the umbrella group for trade unions, is urging employers to use “common sense and understanding” and allow flexible working where possible – such as working from home, starting later, making up hours later, or swapping shifts.
John Palmer, senior adviser at conciliation service Acas, cautioned that firms must treat requests fairly, noting there will be Mexico fans as well as England supporters in the workforce. He added that staff with no interest in football may be happy to swap shifts.
But not every sector can offer the same leeway. The British Chambers of Commerce highlighted industries where flexibility will be challenging, including manufacturing production lines, frontline retail and hospitality. 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 about…”