Euro 2016: Employers face spate of 'sporting sickies' on Friday

Employers are bracing themselves for thousands of workers 'pulling a sickie' in the wake of the England v Wales Euro 2016 game.
Lots of football fans could 'pull a sickie' on Friday due to being hung over after the England v Wales Euro 2016 game.Lots of football fans could 'pull a sickie' on Friday due to being hung over after the England v Wales Euro 2016 game.
Lots of football fans could 'pull a sickie' on Friday due to being hung over after the England v Wales Euro 2016 game.

Research found that British employees are ranked second in the Euro league table of ‘sporting sickies’, with 73% of HR directors expecting the early morning excuse for skipping work the day after a major sporting event.

Despite 88% of employers seeing the benefits of using sporting events to engage employees, employers lack control over post-match celebrations - and post-match hangovers.

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This Friday could see a peak in ‘sporting sickies’ after England and Wales meet in Lens at 2pm tomorrow.

The UK ranks second only to Germany in the 'sporting sickies' league table, where 79% of HR directors believe employees are likely to call in sick the day after a major sporting event.

In Belgium the figure falls to 69% and in the European Championship host nation, France, just 63%. of bosses believe employees are likely to skip work the day after a big game.

The research was carried out by Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialised recruitment consultancy.

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Phil Sheridan, UK senior managing director of Robert Half UK, said: “Companies are increasingly recognising the impact an engaged and motivated workforce can have in achieving business goals and positively impacting the bottom line.

“As excitement for the UEFA tournament builds, employers who plan ahead and incorporate the matches into their company events calendar will benefit from an increase in employee morale and job satisfaction.

"Other activities to consider include flexible work schedules, remote working and late starts to balance work priorities with national pride over the course of the tournament.”