Called in sick after England's World Cup game - here's what your boss can and can't do
Roaring celebrations could be heard up and down the country at 2am this morning when Jude Bellingham scored twice in the space of 98 seconds in England’s World Cup match against Mexico.
The thrilling game, which took place at the Estadio Azteca, ended with a score of 3-2, securing The Three Lions’ place in the quarter-finals.
It saw thousands of Brits sacrifice their sleep and stay up late to watch the nail-biting action unfold - even if they had work early the next day.
Pubs even opened their doors to show the World Cup match, allowing fans to enjoy a late-night, or should we say early morning, beer.
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And thanks to a threat of lightning in Mexico City, the match, which was supposed to begin at 6pm local time (1am UK time), got pushed back another hour to 7pm (2am UK time).
So, there’s no doubt that this Monday morning (6 July), there will be quite a few sore heads and sickness calls.
Asked post-match to send England supporters a message, Bellingham, 23, said: “Have another shot and text your bosses to say you're not coming in tomorrow. That's about it.”
If you are someone who’s pulled a hangover-induced sickie, or even just overslept, we’ve delved into what the consequences could be, including what your boss can and can’t do.
Speaking to The Guardian, Joanne Moseley, the legal director at the law firm Irwin Mitchel, warned: “Employers should already have processes in place to deal with staff who phone in sick for the odd day.”
She added: “These usually start with a return-to-work interview where they should be asked to explain any inconsistencies between the reason given for their absence and any observed behaviour – such as pictures of them on social media watching football in the pub.”
The expert warned that if you can’t give a ‘satisfactory answer,’ AKA if pictures of you five-drinks deep are all over Instagram, then your employer is likely to take disciplinary action against you.
As for lateness, you’re also likely to land a warning if your company is not one of those who has taken special measures to allow their staff to start later.
However, speaking to the outlet, Paul Nowak, the TUC general secretary, has called for employers to ‘show some common sense and understanding’.
He suggests that if staff are a little late thanks to a missed alarm and lack of sleep, they should be given the option to make the time back later in the week after the game.
It also depends on if you’re usually late to work - as a one-off offence, you’re unlikely to get in any serious trouble, but if you’re chronically late, it could be a different story.
Meanwhile, an important aspect to consider for employers is that if you allow flexibility around the England game, you may have to give the same considerations to those who support other teams.
Vivek Dodd, the chief executive of Skillcast, told The Guardian that bosses should be ‘mindful of their diverse workforces’, as ‘requests may come from employees supporting a range of national teams, so annual leave, flexible working and attendance policies should be applied fairly and consistently’.
Thankfully, if you can manage to keep your eyes open and get through work today, you won’t have to worry about future games, with the rest of England’s kick-offs expected to be at a reasonable hour!
World Cup 2026 fixture schedule and UK kick off times
Monday, 6 July
Round of 16 - Match 93: Portugal vs Spain, kick-off 8pm - Arlington, US
Tuesday, 7 July
Round of 16 - Match 94: USA vs Belgium, kick-off 1am - Seattle, US
Round of 16 - Match 95: Argentina vs Egypt, kick-off 5pm - Atlanta, US
Round of 16 - Match 96: Switzerland vs Colombia, kick-off 9pm - Vancouver, Canada
Thursday, 9 July
Quarter-final - Match 97: France vs Morocco, kick-off 9pm - Foxborough, US
Friday, 10 July
Quarter-final - Match 98: Match 93 winners vs Match 94 winners, kick-off 8pm - Los Angeles, US
Saturday, 11 July
Quarter-final - Match 99: Norway vs England, kick-off 10pm - Miami, US
Sunday, 12 July
Quarter-final - Match 100: Match 95 winners vs Match 96 winners, kick-off 2am - Kansas City, US
Tuesday, 14 July
Semi-final - Match 101: Match 97 winners vs Match 98 winners, kick-off 8pm - Arlington, US
Wednesday, 15 July
Semi-final - Match 102: Match 99 winners vs Match 100 winners, kick-off 8pm - Atlanta, US
Saturday, 18 July
Third Place Playoff - Match 103: Match 101 losers vs Match 102 losers, kick-off 10pm - Miami, US
Sunday, 19 July
Final - Match 104: Match 101 winners vs Match 102 winners, kick-off 8pm - New Jersey, US
Madison Burgess